


The Week Together

by Persephone_orchids



Category: Fairy Tail
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Romance, team natsu are great wingmen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-16
Updated: 2020-07-22
Packaged: 2021-03-05 01:15:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 20,666
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25305865
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Persephone_orchids/pseuds/Persephone_orchids
Summary: Natsu is confined to Lucy's house for a week, and their friends are desperate for the pair to realise their feelings for one another. I mean, how oblivious can two people be?
Relationships: Natsu Dragneel/Lucy Heartfilia
Comments: 28
Kudos: 164





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! I've been toying with this story for a bit, but decided to finally take the plunge! It's a little cliche and I'm sure similar stories have been written endless times, but I hope you read and enjoy my version as well!  
> Quick disclaimer, I do not own Fairy Tail. If I did, Gildarts would be the main character and it wouldn't be a family rated show. I just own the plot!

“Natsu! Look out!” Lucy shouted, and Natsu instinctively ducked, swiveling around just in time to see a rock being hurled through the air. 

“Thanks, Luce,” he called, as he jumped forward, driving his fist into the monster’s stomach.

Natsu, Lucy, and Happy had taken a job requiring them to stop a monster that was breaking down homes and injuring the residents of a small village. The bastard had been one ugly sucker, towering several feet into the air, but in typical Natsu fashion, the pinkette hit first, thought later. And he was now dodging rubble that the monster was lobbing at him.

Lucy pulled out her Gate Keys and retrieved Loke’s.

“Open, Gate of the Lion! Leo!”

With a burst of golden light, Loke appeared, dressed in his trademark suit. He adjusted his glasses with a smirk.

“Loke, Natsu needs some back up!” Lucy called to her celestial spirit.

“Right on, Princess. And maybe later, I can back you up ag--”

“LOKE! Now is seriously  _ not  _ the time to be hitting on me!” Lucy screeched.

Happy floated next to Lucy and began sniggering.

“I seriously need to have a conversation with some of my spirits,” Lucy sighed and looked over to Happy for some sympathy.

Happy had both hands plastered over his mouth and was giggling maniacally. “He looooves you!” Happy finally burst out, a cheeky smile painted on his blue face.

While Happy continued to chortle, Natsu and Loke were engaging the monster. They both got several quick punches in, working in beautiful synchrony. Loke came down on the monster’s shoulder as Natsu sent a punch up into its chin; Loke kicked the monster’s legs out from under it while Natsu threw his foot in the beast’s stomach. The monster began to sway.

“Regulus Impact!” Loke shouted, hitting the monster square in the chest. That brought it to its knees. 

“Thanks, Loke,” Natsu grinned.

“No problem, brother,” Loke nodded back. “Princess, I’ll see you very soon,” he threw a wink at Lucy before disappearing. 

Natsu stalked up towards the monster. “Listen up, ugly. If you somehow manage to climb out of this mess, you’re gonna head straight back to the cave you came from. Because if I ever get wind that you’re causing some damage, I’ll make you pay,” he said dangerously. 

The monster lurched forward, attempting to swipe at Natsu. He deftly dodged it before leaping towards the beast.

“Fire Dragon… Wing Attack!” He lashed at the monster, who collapsed sideways.

“Great job, Natsu!” Lucy and Happy shouted in unison. Natsu turned around to smile brightly at them. 

Lucy saw everything that followed happen in slow motion. The monster lifted one enormous, clawed hand and sent it flying into Natsu. Lucy screamed, but it was too late. Just as Natsu turned to see what Lucy was screaming at, the claw hit him heavily in the chest. It was a surprising display of force from a monster who passed out immediately after delivering that blow. 

Natsu had already been tired, and now, caught off-guard by an extreme impact, he was sent flying into the rock wall. His head snapped back against the hard surface with a loud crack, and Natsu crumpled to the ground. A jutting out piece of rock had hit him in the spine, and he lay in a heap, unmoving. 

The monster was finally down, but Lucy wouldn’t have cared even if it sat right back up. Her only focus was now Natsu. Happy and Lucy rushed over to the unconscious man. Lucy sat on the ground next to him and collected his head in her lap. Happy stood to his side, one small blue paw on his shoulder.

“Natsu! Natsu, please! You have to wake up!” Lucy’s eyes were brimming with tears.

“Natsu, open your eyes,” Happy said softly, tears streaming down his face.

Lucy turned to the blue Exceed, “You need to fly back to Magnolia, Happy. You’ll get there faster than I’ll be able to. Go to the guild and bring Wendy back!”

Happy began shaking his head, “Lucy that will take at least a full day, if not more. I can’t leave Natsu!” He put his head on Natsu’s chest, throwing his little arms around the Dragon Slayer.

“I know, Happy,” Lucy stroked his head as she cried, “but Wendy is our best chance. I’ll keep Natsu safe until you come back, I swear,” she vowed.

Happy sat up sniffling and rubbed his eyes. “Okay,” he whispered, before leaning down to Natsu, “You gotta stay strong, buddy. You gotta wake up soon.” With that, Happy flew off, beating his wings furiously.

Lucy summoned Horologium who carried Natsu as the group made their way back to the inn. The spirit placed Natsu on the bed before disappearing. 

Lucy hurried to the bathroom and filled a bowl with warm, soapy water. She grabbed a rag, and then, sitting beside Natsu, gently wiped at his body. She carefully removed his top, and dabbed his chest and sides with the soapy water. Very carefully, she turned him onto his stomach, and finally saw the impact that the rock had made. A deep purple bruise originated in the middle of his back, before extending across it like a spider’s web. She took the rag there and tentatively wiped his back, which elicited a wince and a small groan from the unconscious man. 

Not knowing what was wrong, Lucy thought it best to leave the area untouched. She moved to sit by his face, and her gut wrenched everytime a flicker of pain crossed his features. She reached out and ran her fingers through his hair.

“Oh, Natsu…” she began crying in earnest.

She sat with him, unmoving, for hours. She didn’t so much as get up to get water. She stayed awake through the night, and into the next morning. She knew Happy would be back very soon, and she sat with bated breath, stroking his pink hair.

His eyes began to flutter. Lucy was so sleepy that she thought she’d imagined it, but then they cracked open.

“Luce?” His voice was raspy.

“Natsu!” she exclaimed as she sobbed.

“Luce… why am I in so much pain? My back… Lucy!” Natsu fisted the bedcover and screwed his eyes shut. Lucy saw tears prick the corners, and that scared her more than anything.

_ If Natsu, this bull-headed, fearless, brave man, is crying from pain… Wendy needs to get here soon,  _ she panicked. 

Natsu drew in ragged breaths, his eyes pressed shut, before they relaxed as he fell unconscious again.

Just then, the door burst open and Wendy, Erza, and Gray rushed towards Natsu.

“Natsu!” they all cried in unison. Behind them, Happy, Carla, and Lily flew in. Lucy came to the conclusion that the three Exceeds had carried the three mages. 

Wendy immediately got to work, while Erza and Gray turned their attention to Lucy.

“Happy filled us in on some of it, but I’d like to hear it again from you,” Erza requested, her sharp voice full of concern.

Lucy narrated the events of everything that had transpired up until the moment they arrived.

“You haven’t slept?” Gray reconfirmed.

Lucy shook her head. “I’ll sleep when I know he’s okay.”

Gray shut his eyes, before quietly whispering, “I’m so sorry Natsu. We should have all been here.”

“You have nothing to apologise--” Lucy began, when a look from Gray shut her up.

“We’re a  _ team _ , Lucy, and more importantly, we’re a family. Especially the people in this room. We,” he gestured across the room, “are one family. And I wasn’t there for him.” Gray’s face fell into his hands and he groaned.

Erza echoed his sentiments silently, the tears in her eyes conveying her agreement. Lucy pulled both Gray and Erza into a hug and the three stood there mournfully while the young Dragon Slayer ran her hands above Natsu. 

“He’s damaged his spine, and he has a concussion, but I can fix him,” Wendy said confidently.

The three older mages let out a collective sigh of relief. 

“What happened to him?” Erza asked.

“He’s hurt his spine pretty badly. He’s cracked his spinal column, and I suspect that’s caused some injury to the nerves as well. If he was awake, I don’t think he’d be able to move anything below his knees, but I can fix that. He’ll need about a week of rest, but he’ll be back to normal, with full movement. His dragon slayer magic helps him heal faster. I’ve already taken care of his concussion. He’ll just wake up with a headache.”

The other three grabbed Wendy and pulled her into their hug, all four of them now shakily laughing with relief, as a few errant tears slipped from their eyes. 

Lucy turned to face Natsu, and saw a sight that made her heart twist in affection. Happy was curled up by Natsu’s face and was stroking his cheek while whispering, “You did it, buddy. You stayed alive for me. I love you, Natsu.” 

“I love you too, buddy,” Natsu croaked, his eyes still firmly shut.

“Natsu!” everyone in the room shouted.

Natsu tried to sit up, and Wendy rushed to his side. “Not so soon, Natsu. You need your rest.” 

Natsu debated arguing with her, but he was exhausted. He nodded and crashed back down, asleep before his head hit the pillow.

“You too, Lucy,” Erza commanded.

“I’m fine!” Lucy tried to wave away Erza’s concerns, but when the red haired wizard shot her a withering look, Lucy lay down on the couch.

“We’ll spend the night here, and take the train back in the morning. Gray, Wendy, and I will take shifts keeping an eye on Natsu. Lucy, you sleep.” Erza delegated in true fashion.

“Happy, I assume you will not leave Natsu’s side?” she asked the blue Exceed, who nodded his head. “Alright then. For now, Wendy and I will stay here. Wendy, you may resume your healing spells whenever you’re ready. Gray, Carla, Lily, please go get us all something to eat. It has been a harrowing few hours, and we could all use a pick me up.”

Everyone did as Erza asked, but Lucy had been oblivious to the entire thing, already fast asleep. 


	2. Chapter 2

The next morning, Wendy declared Natsu fit to travel, but when he heard that they had to take the train, he sat down and refused to budge. A stern glare from Erza got him to his feet, and Erza and Gray wound their arms around him, supporting him as he hobbled out.

“Hey, Wendy, why don’t my feet work right?” he asked.

Wendy’s face fell. “I’m so sorry Natsu I couldn’t heal your spine any quicker it will take a week for your legs to go back to normal I’m so sorry,” she rambled.

“Natsu, if it hadn’t been for Wendy, you wouldn’t be walking at all,” Gray said, protecting the little girl.

“Is that right? Well, then, thanks Wendy! I owe ya a bunch! You’re a real lifesaver, kid!” Natsu grinned widely at the blue haired girl.

Once on the train, Wendy cast a Troia spell on Natsu, but it turned out to be unrequired. Natsu was still in a lot of pain, though he didn’t show it, and the walk to the train station -- while not a long one -- had sapped his energy. He fell asleep soon after sitting in their compartment, his head in Lucy’s lap. Wendy, Erza, and Gray took the bench across, and the three Exceeds perched themselves on various laps, benches, and tables.

“Natsu can’t be left alone while he recovers. Who knows what kind of idiocy he’ll get up to?” Erza spoke.

“Yeah, he’ll probably try and take a mission tomorrow if no one stops him,” Gray chimed in.

Lucy looked at the two like they were daft for only bringing this up now.

“Obviously he’s staying with me. You think I’m letting him out of my sight until he’s a hundred percent back to normal?” she asked incredulously.

“Yes, of course, Lucy. We should have expected that you would have already made plans,” Erza said with a slight smile. 

The three wizards on the bench across Lucy and Natsu surreptitiously smirked at one another, and then turned their gaze back to the blonde wizard who was looking at Natsu while absentmindedly stroking his hair.

The three didn’t need telepathy to know what the others were thinking.

_ When the hell will these two open their eyes? _ They all wondered simultaneously. 

Their thoughts were interrupted as Happy piped up. “Lucy, I’m going to stay with you too, right?” 

Lucy smiled at the blue cat. “Of course, Happy! It wouldn’t be the same without you!”

Wendy, eager for Lucy and Natsu to get some alone time, chimed in, “Happy, if you get bored at any point, you’re welcome to come and spend some time with Carla and I! Natsu may not be able to do anything fun for a while, but Carla and I would love to have you!”

Gray and Erza looked knowingly at each other out of the corners of their eyes, impressed with the young wizard’s matchmaking skills.

“Oh, yeah…” Happy said dejectedly. “Lucy’s no fun if Natsu’s asleep. All she ever does is write her boring stories,” he groaned.

“Shut it, cat! You won’t be welcome in my house if you keep this up!” Lucy roared as Happy ducked into Wendy’s lap and giggled.

Lucy gently shook Natsu awake when they pulled into the Magnolia train station.

“Today is a great day, guys!” Natsu exclaimed as he sat up.

“Oh? And why is that?” Erza asked, a hint of playfulness in her tone.

“Because I made it through an entire train ride without being sick  _ once _ !”

“That’s because you were unconscious, Flame Brain,” Gray muttered.

“Still counts,” Natsu said brightly as he tried to stand. His knees buckled and he plopped back down on the bench.

“Damn it,” he grumbled. Gray and Erza rushed to his side, lifting him up and holding him around the waist. 

Lucy could tell that Natsu was pissed and she knew that he was going to be a handful tonight. 

The group all walked towards Lucy's house. At some point, Lily took their leave, wanting to get back to Gajeel. He was thanked profusely for his help. Even a grumpy Natsu mumbled his gratitude. 

Natsu had spent so long being irritated at his non-functional legs that he hadn't noticed where they were going. 

"Hey! This isn't the way to my house!" he yelled. 

"Natsu, we thought it best if you stay with me for a week. That way I can help you," Lucy explained gently, readying herself for the tantrum that was bound to follow. 

"Hell no! I am a grown ass man and I can take care of myself! I am going back to my house, just try and stop me!" Natsu tried wriggling out of Gray and Erza's grasp. Of course, it was to no avail. 

Erza's face darkened and her voice became menacing. "Natsu, you will do as you're told. If you make this week difficult for Lucy, I will have you locked up in a room at the guild and I will personally look after your recuperation.”

Natsu didn’t have to weigh the pros and cons to know that a week at Lucy’s house was a far better option than being locked in a room with Erza for a week. Even riding a train was probably a better option. 

“Yes, ma’am,” Natsu grumbled, while Gray snickered.

“What are you laughing at, huh?” Natsu snapped.

“You. Obviously,” the blue-haired wizard drawled.

“I’m gonna kick your ass, snowflake!” Natsu roared.

“Oh yeah? With what working limbs?” Gray shouted back.

“I don’t need to feel my foot to be able to shove--” the rest of Natsu’s retort was muffled as Erza slammed her palms into both their faces. 

“Enough. No more bickering. No more talking. No more doing anything until we get to Lucy’s.”

Neither boy said anything, glumly staring at the ground as they continued their slow hobble to the celestial mage’s apartment.

Once in Lucy’s home, Natsu asked to be taken to the bed, where he lay down, and was promptly asleep. 

“Wendy, is something wrong with him?” Lucy asked, concerned. “He’s sleeping so much.”

Wendy knelt by Natsu and pressed a palm to his forehead. 

“He’s okay, Lucy. This will last a day or two. The rate at which he’s healing is taking a toll on his body. He’s just tired,” the young girl assured. “I’ll be by in a little bit with a cane that he can use to walk around until he gets his strength back. But even with the cane, it would be best if you helped him for a couple days, just to be on the safer side,” she continued.

Erza made Lucy promise to ask her for help at any point, and then the team took their leave. Except Happy, who was sitting by Natsu, waiting for him to wake up. Lucy joined Happy at the edge of her bed. Though Wendy was confident he’d be fine, seeing Natsu like this made Lucy’s heart ache with worry. 

The girl and the Exceed sat in silence for a few moments, before she sighed and got off her bed to sit at her desk. She pulled out a piece of paper and began scribbling on it. Happy flitted his gaze between the sleeping boy and the girl, contemplating who was currently less boring. It was a close call, but Happy decided that he’d maybe have more fun talking to Lucy than just looking at an unconscious Natsu. He padded up to her.

“Hey Lucy. What are you writing?” he asked.

“Just some ideas for a new story,” Lucy muttered, her focus unwavering.

“Ooh! Is it a love story?” Happy asked mischievously.

“Well, there is some romance, but it isn’t entirely a love story.” She was still to lift her eyes from her page.

“Is the girl you and the boy Natsu and you both get married?” Happy asked, snickering.

With that, Lucy looked away from her page and glared at the cat.

“Happy, if you don’t shut it and let me work, I’ll lock you inside a cupboard!” She threatened aggressively.

“But Lucy! I’m bored! Can you take me fishing? Natsu  _ always _ takes me fishing!” Happy pleaded.

Lucy felt bad for the Exceed. He wanted his best friend, and if Lucy was being honest, she did too. She sat on the floor next to Happy, pulling him in for a hug.

“I miss having fun with Natsu too. I know you’re worried, and I’m sorry I’m not as good company as he is, but right now, I have to stay here and take care of him, okay?” She pulled back to look Happy in the eye.

“You heard Wendy, right? Natsu is probably going to be pretty tired as he gets better. And I’m going to be busy looking after him. We may not be able to do fun things for the next week. Just until he’s back to being fine. How about you and I make a plan?” She asked.

“You come here at meal times, because that’s when Natsu will also be awake, but otherwise, you spend time with Wendy and Carla. You’ll have fun with them. And when Natsu starts walking around and is able to hang out, you can spend your day here. How does that sound?”

“That sounds good, Lucy. Thank you for taking care of my friend,” the small cat unexpectedly threw his arms around a slightly startled Lucy, who cradled him against her.

Wendy arrived with the cane shortly after, and left with Happy in tow. Lucy propped the can up against the bed and went to kneel by a sleeping Natsu. She gently ran her fingers down his cheek. “Oh, Natsu. Please, please get better soon,” she whispered as she reached for his hand and gave it a light squeeze. 

Happy came back for dinner that night, but Natsu hadn’t woken up yet. Happy tried waving a fish in front of Natsu’s face, hoping the smell would tempt him into rousing, but it proved ineffective. After eating dinner in relative silence, hoping the entire time that Natsu would wake up, a very sad little cat said goodbye to his best friend before flying back to Wendy. 

Lucy placed a plate with a sandwich on the bedside table, in case Natsu woke up hungry in the middle of the night. She adjusted the covers around him, contemplating where to get into bed next to him or sleep on the couch.    
_ It’s not like we’ve never shared a bed _ , she thought, but in the end chose to sleep on the couch, worried about somehow hurting him in her sleep.

“Well, Natsu, it’s you and I for the next week,” she whispered. She ran a hand through his hair. Breathing a quiet, “Goodnight”, Lucy curled up on the couch, worry gnawing at her until she fell into a restless sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay! I've finished setting the scene! (Yes it's ridiculous that I used two chapters for buildup, but I'm big on the nuances). Please let me know what you think so far! I promise to try my best to make it the NaLu fluff piece of your dreams!


	3. Chapter 3

**Day 1**

Lucy was rudely woken up as she fell onto the floor, having rolled off the couch, just as the sun was creeping up over the horizon. She’d forgotten that she wasn’t on her bed.    
_ Well, I might as well get a start on my day _ , she thought.

She tiptoed into her bedroom to check on her current number one priority. Natsu was still asleep, his face calm and breathing even. The sandwich lay untouched, so Lucy picked it up and deposited it in the kitchen. She quietly went to her bathroom to brush her teeth and wash her face. 

It was still too early for breakfast, so Lucy took the liberty of unpacking Natsu’s things. She carefully arranged his toiletries along her bathtub, and stuck his toothbrush in the holder next to hers. She dumped his dirty laundry into the washing machine, before throwing her clothes in as well, and turning it on. The remainder of his clean clothes got folded and neatly stacked in a drawer that Lucy emptied for him. 

Noting the time, Lucy expected Happy to be flying in shortly, so she got to work on breakfast, whipping together a batch of pancakes. Lucy hoped Natsu would wake up to eat, given that he’d been asleep for close to 17 hours, and Lucy was convinced that this was the longest he’d ever gone without food. 

As she stirred the batter, she heard a loud thud, followed by a string of obscenities. Lucy ran to the bedroom and found Natsu kneeling on the floor.

“Oh my god, Natsu!” she exclaimed as she crouched next to him, pulling one of his arms onto her shoulder and wrapping her arm around his waist. She carefully stood up, lifting him up with her. Natsu sat back down on the bed, his face dark with irritation.

“What happened?” Lucy asked stupidly. She knew that his legs were not yet all there, but it seemed like a natural question in this situation.

“Well, I forgot that I couldn’t walk,” Natsu muttered.

“But that’s why I left this cane here! In front of your face!” Lucy gestured to it wildly.

“No way am I using a cane, lady! Even Master Makarov doesn’t use a cane and he’s an old geezer!” Natsu yelled, while Lucy desperately tried to get him to lower his voice. “Plus, I didn’t notice it,” he finished sheepishly.

Just then, his stomach audibly rumbled. 

“Man, I’m starved! Got any food, Luce?” Natsu asked, irritation quickly forgotten.

Lucy nodded as she slipped her arm around his waist. Natsu grumbled a little, but let Lucy hoist him up. He leaned on her heavily as she guided him to the kitchen. She placed him on a chair at the small breakfast table in the corner of the kitchen, pushing a bowl of strawberries in his direction.

“Snack on these. I’m getting pancakes ready,” she said as she turned her attention back to the batter.

“Hey, Lucy, did I kick at night? ‘Cause if I did, it means my legs are starting to work again,” he said excitedly.

“Oh. Um, I don’t know, Natsu. I slept on the couch.”

Lucy was startled at how easily Natsu had assumed that they shared a bed. She wondered why it made her nervous, but wasn’t allowed to dwell on it further, as Natsu’s voice cut through the air.

“What? Why? That’s silly, Luce. It’s not like I haven’t slept in your bed before, y’know? With you in it, that is,” Natsu clarified.

“No, I know,” she said, turning to face him. “I guess I didn’t want to hurt you by mistake in my sleep,” she shrugged. She began ladling batter onto a hot griddle.

She heard Natsu bite into a strawberry, and then quickly chew down another. They sat in silence as Natsu stuffed fruit into his face. Finally, he took a break long enough to say, “You could never hurt me, Lucy.” He said it nonchalantly, as if it was obvious. Lucy had no reply.

Natsu continued scarfing down the strawberries, before he suddenly stopped, remembering something very important.

“Happy! Happy, where are ya, buddy? Happy!” Natsu hollered.

“Natsu! Can it! It’s still pretty early! People are sleeping!” Lucy hissed. “Happy isn’t here. You were unconscious and I’m apparently boring, so he went to spend the night with Wendy and Carla. But he’ll be here for breakfast,” Lucy assured. 

“Aw, Luce. You’re not boring. Don’t let that cat get ya down,” Natsu comforted her.

Lucy just let out a sigh, and flipped the pancakes onto a plate. She retrieved the syrup from the fridge, before finally setting the whole affair down on the table.

“This looks great! Thanks!” Natsu dumped a river of syrup onto his plate and then attacked the stack. Lucy noticed the speed at which he was wolfing the food down and hurried to make more.

As Natsu was demolishing his second stack of pancakes, Happy flew in through the window.

“Natsuuuuu!” Happy cried, flying straight into his best friend’s arms.

“Hey buddy! I missed you!” Natsu exclaimed, hugging him.

“How’re you feeling, Natsu?” Happy asked, worry etched over his features. 

Before Natsu could answer, Lucy’s door burst open and Gray, Erza, and Wendy tumbled in. 

“Natsu!”

“You’re awake!”

“How do you feel?”

The three of them shouted in unison.

“It would be nice if people knocked around here,” Lucy mumbled under her breath.

“I’m doing good, guys!” Natsu said cheerily. “Of course, I still can’t walk very well, but it’s not like I’m going to use the cane, y--…” Natsu trailed off mid sentence as Erza glared at him. He remembered the threat of being forced to recuperate while locked in a room with her. 

“Actually, I’m going to use the cane!” Natsu quickly corrected himself.

“Hey Natsu, can you bend forward for me?” the small Sky Dragon Slayer asked.

Natsu complied and she went to stand behind him. She carefully pulled his shirt up and cast a few more healing spells before rubbing a salve across his back. 

Natsu exhaled with a happy sigh. "That feels good, Wendy. Thank you."

Wendy dropped his shirt and patted his shoulder.

Erza then insisted that Gray help Natsu into the shower, and after momentary complaining, the two made their way to the bathroom.

Commotion ensued, but when Lucy got up to make sure they were okay, Erza shook her head.

“I wouldn’t if I were you, Lucy. Natsu’s bathing and Gray is a habitual stripper, so you’ll probably be walking in on two naked men yelling at each other. It’s just not worth it.”

Lucy's eyes widened in horror at the thought of what she almost witnessed. 

Some more shouting and abusing later, the two emerged, Natsu freshly clothed and Grey in his boxers.

“Flameo here splashed me,” the blue-haired man growled as he dropped Natsu into a chair.

“Can it, Ice Cube,” Natsu scoffed back.

And suddenly, like magic, they both turned off their bickering, reverting to casual conversation.

"Natsu, we got you some stuff," Gray took a seat on a chair across Natsu before kicking a large duffel bag towards the pink-haired man. 

"What's in this?" Natsu asked suspiciously. 

"Don't look so nervous, Pinky," Gray barked. "I'm your friend and I am worried for you, so we just wanted to do something nice, okay?!" he shouted. 

"Well, thanks! But you have a funny way of showing your concern, you know!" Natsu yelled back. 

"They shout at each other even when they're being nice… they really are beyond hope," Carla muttered as she shook her head. 

Lucy, unfortunately, wasn't able to pay much attention to any of this, because the sudden influx of people had her stirring up batter and ladling pancakes at record speed. 

She had barely put the platter on the table when the gang descended on their breakfast like a swarm of locusts. Only Wendy shot Lucy a grateful smile and mouthed "Thank you," as Natsu, Gray, and Erza continued their very loud banter. 

Lucy leaned back against the counter as she ate her breakfast, watching her friends. Watching her best friend smile, his teeth dazzling and eyes crinkling, she almost forgot that she had cradled his unconscious body against hers barely two days ago. Natsu caught Lucy's gaze and winked at her before resuming his verbal sparring match. 

Lucy cracked a small, bashful smile. 

Only the most perceptive person in the room noticed this exchange, and her small face lit up. Wendy jumped up and down, gathering everyone's attention. 

"Guys! I think we should let Natsu rest! Let's go!" She threw Erza a knowing look, who imperceptibly nodded before ushering Gray and Happy out the door. 

"No! I'm not tired! Gray! Come back here, I'm not done with you!" Natsu hollered. 

"Rest, Natsu. We'll come back soon," Erza said kindly. 

Happy sadly flew behind the group, promising to come back at lunch. 

Once her house was empty, and back to being relatively quiet, Lucy addressed Natsu.

“Okay, couch or bed?” she asked the man, who petulantly pointed to the bed, still upset that his friends had to leave. Lucy helped him there and then ran back to the kitchen to heft the duffel bag over. Natsu was sprawled out, legs splayed as he leaned against the headboard. Lucy sat cross-legged between Natsu’s calves, before setting the bag down in between his knees so that they both could see what was in it. Natsu sat up excitedly as Lucy unzipped the bag and began pulling things out. 

The contents of the bag included: a stack of magazines; two books (the only two books Natsu had ever read); an assortment of board games; a deck of cards; and lastly, a set of crayons.

“Crayons?! What do I look like? A 5 year old?” Natsu glared at the offending item indignantly.

“I don’t know, Natsu. I think it may be fun. We could put on some music, colour for a bit,” Lucy suggested as she shrugged. 

“Okay, fine. I’ll try it. But later. For now, it’s magazine time!” Natsu pulled out a Sorcerer Weekly, before patting the bed next to him.

Lucy returned everything to the duffel bag and placed it on the floor before crawling over and sitting beside the pinkette. 

They spent over an hour flipping through the magazine, pausing at every page to crack a joke. When they got to the centre spread, Lucy realised this was an issue that featured her. In a terribly skimpy bikini. She threw her hands over the page, trying to hide her mostly naked body from Natsu.

“Hey! Cut it out, Luce,” Natsu swatted her hands. “It’s not like I haven’t seen you in this exact bikini before,” he rolled his eyes at the girl.

“Plus, you look really pretty here,” Natsu gently smiled at the page and Lucy felt butterflies erupt in her stomach. “Way better than how you look right now,” Natsu said, poking at her messy topknot. All butterflies were instantly squashed as she punched him in the shoulder repeatedly.

“I’m kidding! Jeez, Luce! I’m kidding, stop! I’m injured!” Natsu cried, holding his hands up.

Happy did come by for lunch, but before leaving, had a solemn chat with Natsu.

“Natsu, I feel really bad…” Happy began.

“Oh, no! What’s wrong, Happy? Is Carla being mean?” Natsu asked.

“No, it’s not that. You’re sick, and I should be here with you, but…” Happy trailed off again, nervously playing with his hands.

“But, what, little guy?”

“Wendy said that she and Carla are eating yummy fish for dinner and Lucy only makes boring food and I really want to eat with them, but then you’ll feel bad that I’m abandoning you!” Happy cried, throwing his arms around Natsu.

Natsu chuckled as he hugged the Exceed.

“I won’t feel bad, I promise. I know how much you like fish. Just make sure to eat a little extra for me, okay? It’ll make me feel better when I eat Missy's cooking,” Natsu winked, pointing his thumb towards Lucy, who glowered at the pair. 

“Okay, Natsu, I’ll eat a whole extra fish for you,” Happy sniffled, but otherwise didn’t sound upset in the slightest.

“Don’t poison him, Lucy!” Happy called as he flew out the window before the woman could lob her slipper at him.

“Ridiculous cat,” Lucy grumbled.

“You know he loves you, Luce,” Natsu said comfortingly. 

Lucy just huffed.

That evening, Lucy and Natsu played a board game on the bed, and Natsu beat her every time. After an hour of losing, Lucy gave up, vowing to never play the game again. She brought dinner into the bedroom and the pair sat in bed as they ate. 

Lucy told Natsu stories from when she was little and growing up in a mansion. Natsu, who’d spent his entire life in tiny homes, listened in rapture.

“You had someone to bring you water  _ to your room? _ ” Natsu asked in shock.

Lucy was a little embarrassed, but laughed it off. “Yeah, and someone to bathe me, and a different person to dress me, and even someone to cut my meat into little pieces before I ate. But honestly, it made me feel helpless. And while I loved all of them, it felt cold. This big house, with hardly anyone in it. I was lonely a lot,” Lucy said quietly.

Natsu briefly touched her knee, giving it a gentle squeeze, before returning to his usual, oblivious self.

“I’d have used the whole house as my own, personal amusement park!” he declared, pumping a fist into the air. 

Lucy just shook her head, clearing the dishes away. 

When they were ready for bed, Lucy handed Natsu his pajamas after he assured her that she didn’t need to help him put them on. While Natsu changed in the bedroom, Lucy pulled on her pajamas in the bathroom, brushed her teeth, moisturised her face, combed her hair, and only then resurfaced to find a very bored Natsu staring at her.

“What took so long, huh?” he asked accusingly.

“I have a nighttime routine,” Lucy rolled her eyes as Natsu stuck his tongue out. 

She headed for the door. 

“Okay, well, goodnight. Shout for anything,” she said.

“Wait, where are you going?” Natsu asked.

“The couch? To sleep?” Lucy was a little confused. Where did he think she’d go in her pajamas?

“No, Luce! C’mon! It’s weird in your bed if you aren’t here! Okay, fine, then I’m coming to the couch too,” Natsu was able to almost swing his legs off the bed.

“No! Don’t get out of bed!” Lucy yelled. “Fine, scoot over,” she said, waiting until Natsu maneuvered himself away from the edge, giving her enough room.

She slipped into bed, pulling the covers up over both of them. They both lay on their sides, facing one another.

“Goodnight, Luce,” Natsu whispered, his breath warm against her face.

“Goodnight, Natsu,” she whispered back, watching as the man shut his eyes. When his breath evened out, Lucy let her eyes fall shut too, drifting into a dreamless slumber.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Honestly, I need wingmen like Erza, Wendy, and Gray. Also, I don't know if you can tell, but having to navigate around Happy is really eating into my fluff moments! It's okay tho, we shall get over this speed bump! Six more days of confinement!


	4. Chapter 4

**Day 2**

“Natsu… cut it out,” Lucy grumbled, half-asleep. She kicked Natsu’s leg off hers, and pulled the quilt tighter around her. His leg promptly landed back on hers, heavily pressing into her shin.

“Natsu!” Lucy jolted up, ready to yell at him. And then it dawned on her. She burst into a smile and began shaking the pink-haired wizard.

“Natsu! Natsu, wake up! Look!” she screeched.

“Damn it, Lucy, let a guy sleep,” he mumbled, trying to turn away from her noise. 

She caught his shoulder and wrenched him back.

“Fine fine, what is it?” Natsu asked groggily, propping himself up on his elbows.

Lucy threw their covers off and pointed at his leg on hers.

“So?” Natsu asked in confusion.

“You idiot, you moved your leg! You lifted it onto mine  _ twice _ !” Lucy threw her arms around Natsu as he slowly processed what Lucy was saying.

“Wait… I can move my legs?” he asked hesitantly. He then lifted his leg off of Lucy’s and let it fall onto the bed. His movements weren’t yet fluid, but he had moved his leg entirely by himself.

“Holy shit, Lucy! I can move my legs!” He wrapped his arms around her and squeezed.

“Wanna try walking?” she asked, hopping out of bed and holding her hands out. Natsu slowly swung his legs off the side and placed his feet on the ground. 

He stood up, losing his balance briefly before quickly grabbing Lucy’s outstretched hands. 

“Luce, I don’t think I can do this…” Natsu looked at his knees and felt them shake.

“It’s okay, I got you. Do you want to sit back down?” she asked.

Natsu shook his head and gingerly dragged one foot in front of the other. His head snapped up to lock eyes with Lucy as they both beamed. He tried lifting his second foot, but just as he was going to place it down, his knees buckled and he fell forward. Lucy managed to catch him without falling down herself, and she eased him back towards the bed. 

He sat down, feet on the floor, looking despondent. Lucy knelt in front of him, placing her hands on his knees.

“Natsu?” she looked up at him. He didn’t respond, but made a small “hmm” noise.

“This is amazing progress, Natsu,” she said gently.

“Yeah, well, it’s not enough,” the man grumbled.

“It takes time! You were hurt really badly,” Lucy tried explaining.

“It’s just…” Natsu trailed off. He didn’t say anything for several moments, and Lucy was about to speak, when he looked at her. “I don’t like that you have to help me everywhere and that I can’t just walk next to you and that I’m so slow. I hate making you do things for me,” he frowned.

“You’re my best friend, Natsu. I’d do all of this and more for you, every day, for forever. Think about all the times you’ve carried me, you’ve saved me, you’ve pulled me away from falling rocks. Wouldn’t you do those over and over again if you had to?” she asked.

“Of course I would.”

“Exactly,” she said definitively.

Natsu understood the point she was trying to make, and allowed himself to be somewhat mollified.

“Okay Luce, enough with our jabbering. I’m hungry,” Natsu rubbed his belly. 

Lucy laughed, standing up and then helping him up. She thrust the cane into one hand, and let the other rest on her shoulder as she gripped him around the waist. Lucy noticed that Natsu was already moving with much more confidence and independence than he had the day before. 

They waited for Happy to show up, but after nearly an hour, Natsu was ready to eat the table. The two ate breakfast, and then stayed in the kitchen, continuing to talk for a while after. 

As Lucy was doing the dishes, she noticed that Natsu had fallen conspicuously silent. 

"Something the matter?" she asked, her back still to him. 

"Nah, I'm okay…" he replied in the most doleful tone. 

Lucy turned around to see him staring at his hands, tightly clasped in his lap. She walked up to him, pulling at one hand and intertwining her fingers with his.

“Natsu, what’s wrong?” she asked, her voice full of worry.

“It’s really nothing…” he said, and then, with a quick tug of his wrist, he yanked Lucy onto his lap and wound his arm around her, so that she was perched sideways across his legs.

“Natsu, your legs!” she squirmed as she tried to get off, but his grip on her only tightened.

He buried his face in her hair and mumbled, “They’re fine.”

Lucy had never seen Natsu this sad. She ran a comforting hand along his arm.

“You’ll be perfectly fine very soon, Natsu. Wendy said it would only be a week,” she said gently.

“Yeah, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t a crappy thing to be dealing with,” Natsu’s voice continued to be muffled by Lucy’s hair.

Lucy knew there wasn’t much she could say. She simply sat on his lap and continued gently patting his arm. After several minutes of sitting in silence, Natsu straightened up, seemingly calmer now.

“I know it’s stupid for me to feel bad, especially since I will get better in a few days. But not being able to even  _ walk _ without help just sucks. I’m supposed to be the person who takes care of people, and who protects everyone, and now I can’t do anything,” he said, tipping his head back with a groan.

“Natsu--” Lucy began.

“No, I know, Luce. I know I don’t have to protect you all the time, but it’s just annoying that I  _ can’t _ , y’know?”

The celestial mage nodded silently. Deciding it was time to lift Natsu’s spirits, she clapped her hands together.

“Okay, let’s go play cards. I’ll teach you a game that one of my nanny’s taught me when I was young,” she said, jumping off Natsu’s lap and helping him up. He slowly limped back to bed, his weight resting on the cane and Lucy’s shoulder. 

“Yes, I’m sure I get the rules,” Natsu said for the third time. Lucy highly doubted that he’d been paying attention when she explained the card game. It wasn’t hard, but it did need a clear understanding of the rules.

“Okay,” Lucy shrugged, dealing out the cards. They sat as they had last night, with Lucy between his splayed calves, and, in replacement of the duffle bag, cards between his knees. 

As Lucy had expected, Natsu lost the first round.

“Fine, explain the rules again!” he said irately. 

Lucy began to go over them again, and made it halfway through, before Natsu interrupted her.

“Bup bup bup! That’s more than enough. I know  _ exactly _ where I went wrong!”

Ten minutes later, a frustrated Natsu cried, “But I don't understand why I’m losing! Lucy, what am I doing wrong?”

Lucy explained his mistake, and when he tried to interrupt her again, she shut him up with a glare.

When they finally restarted the game for the third time, Natsu proved that he finally understood the rules. They went back and forth, neither one winning, for quite a while, before Lucy outsmarted the man.

“How did you win?! I followed all the rules!” Natsu screamed.

“It’s not just about the rules, Natsu,” Lucy rolled her eyes. “You need practice, experience, and luck.”

“Ughhh,” he groaned. “This is why fighting is easier. If you’re stronger, you win. You don’t need any of the other dumb things.”

Lucy simply scoffed. She wasn’t about to get into this discussion with Natsu.

“Deal again,” the man mumbled, arms crossed over his chest as he sat petulantly. 

They played for several hours, only taking a break for lunch before resuming. Happy made himself known in the afternoon, and had joined them for a couple rounds, before deciding that Lucy was mean when she played. He gave Natsu a high five and flew out. The Fire Dragon Slayer did end up beating Lucy a few times, and didn’t waste a second before gloating everytime he did so. 

Finally, after several hours of playing the same card game over and over, Lucy lay face down next to Natsu and begged him to stop.

“Okay, well, what do you want to do now?” he asked, stretching out and putting his head down next to hers.

“Tell me a story, Natsu,” Lucy asked, curling up on her side.

“But Luce, it’s only the afternoon. Don’t we do bedtime stories at bedtime?”

“Not a bedtime story, dummy. Tell me about the guild when you were little, or Igneel, or something like that.”

Natsu smiled as he brushed a lock of hair away from her face, before dramatically launching into a story of how he once got lost in a forest.

Lucy watched him in complete rapture, engrossed as he wove his tale. When he was done, Lucy clapped.

“Natsu! You should be a storyteller!” she exclaimed.

“Nah Lucy, that’s all you. You’re the writer,” he said with a shrug. 

Lucy squeezed his arm affectionately before climbing off the bed.

“Speaking of, I need to get some writing done. Will you be okay for a couple hours?”

“Can I still talk to you?”

Lucy didn’t have the heart to tell him that he’d need to shut up if she was to focus.

“Yeah, of course you can.”

Barring the occasional question or comment, Natsu quietly flipped through his magazines for a couple of hours waiting for Lucy to be done. She’d left her desk midway to shower, grumbling about “writer’s block” or something. Natsu had a strong feeling that if he bothered her right now she’d bark at him. When Natsu’s boredom finally outweighed his fear of a Lucy Kick, he cleared his throat, hoping to get the attention of the recently showered girl.

She looked at him with a surprising lack of irritation in her eyes.

“Luce, I kinda need to bathe too…” he trailed off.

“Oh. Should I get Gray?” Lucy asked, standing up.

“No, that’s fine. If you could just run the bath, walk me there, and help me back, I should be fine on my own inside.”

Something about this whole process felt incredibly intimate and it made Lucy blush just slightly.

“I promise I won’t be naked in front of you,” Natsu quickly assured her, noting the colour that had tinged her cheeks.

“No, I know. Okay, let me go fill the tub.” 

Lucy ensured she made the water very hot -- much hotter than she’d have ever been able to bathe in, but she knew it was how Natsu liked it.

When she came back out, she found a naked Natsu, albeit for the towel around his hips, leaning against the bed frame.

“You stood up by yourself?!” she screeched.

“Jeez, Luce. Pipe down a little,” Natsu said, rubbing his assaulted ears. “Yeah, I’m feeling stronger. I don’t think I can walk by myself, but this wasn’t a big deal.”

Lucy’s eyes drifted to his toned abdomen and broad shoulders. Colour flooded her cheeks once more.

“Quit blushing Lucy, you’ve seen me in a towel before, ya prude,” Natsu clapped his hands to get her attention.

“Shut up, I’m not a prude,” she said defensively, wrapping her arm around his naked waist. He wasn’t wrong; she had seen him in even more compromising states of undress, but feeling his naked torso pressed into her side was invariably causing butterflies that she couldn’t squash. 

She helped him into the bathroom, and when he was standing in the tub, she turned to leave. She heard his towel hit the floor before she closed the door.

After having been inside for a suspiciously long time, Lucy was about to go knock when she heard a loud splash. She heard him curse, and a few seconds later, a second splash. 

“Luce?” he called from the bathroom.

Lucy ran inside and found him still sitting in the tub, a sheepish expression on his face.

“Turns out I can only stand up by myself when I’m on dry land,” he shrugged.

“Okay, I’m gonna close my eyes and give you my hands. You stand up. I’ll then bend down, pick up your towel and hand it to you. You wrap it around yourself, and then I’ll open my eyes and help you step out. Okay?”

Natsu let out a disdainful scoff, but nodded his head. Lucy’s idea went according to plan, until she let one of his hands go to bend and pick up the towel. Her shifting balance, in combination with his unstable knees, sent him falling straight back into the water, pulling a very shocked Lucy in with him. 

Natsu lay in the tub, with Lucy’s upper body braced against his. Her legs dangled off the edge as the side of the tub uncomfortably pressed into her abdomen. Her T-shirt and hair was soaked through. 

They looked at each other, quickly scanning the others eyes for hurt, irritation, anger. Then suddenly, and all at once, they burst out laughing. Lucy swung her legs into the tub, not caring that the rest of her would get wet, and she lay against Natsu. The pair laughed maniacally until their sides hurt and they could no longer breathe.

Catching her breath, Lucy dipped her head onto Natsu’s shoulder, ruefully saying “Natsu, you’re still naked.”

“We’re in a tub, and you’re fully clothed. I think it’s obvious who the weirdo is,” Natsu retorted, which sent the pair into another fit of giggles.

Lucy finally pulled herself off him, and stepped out of the tub. She helped him up, eyes open this time, and handed him his towel. As they left the bathroom, Natsu elbowed Lucy in the ribs.

“That wasn’t so hard, was it? It’s not like you haven’t seen me naked before. Or the number of times I’ve seen you naked. I think I may have seen you naked more than I’ve seen myself naked,” Natsu said, scratching his head. “You sure you aren’t related to Gray?” he asked, earning himself a thwack in the stomach. 

That evening, while Natsu and Lucy had been giggling in the bathtub, Wendy and Erza were hunched over a little blue cat. 

“Happy, why do you tease Lucy about being in love with Natsu?” Erza asked sternly. The little cat was nearly quaking in fear.

“Because… it’s funny. She gets so mad. But I’m not lying! She does love him! And he loves her! I swear!”

Erza and Wendy exchanged looks.

“Has Natsu told you he loves her, Happy?” Wendy asked gently.

“N--No, not really. But he’s my best friend! And she’s my third best friend. So I know!” Happy then threw a wink at Carla, saying, “The lovely Carla is my second best friend.” The white cat shook her head in embarrassment.

Wendy continued in her soothing voice, “We think they love each other too, Happy. But you gotta keep it a secret, okay? Promise Carla that you won’t say anything about this yet.”

Happy looked at Carla and solemnly said, “I promise I won’t talk about how Natsu and Lucy love each other.”

“Good boy,” Erza said, and Happy instantly began quaking again.

“We’re doing a secret mission, Happy,” Wendy explained. “Me, Erza, and Gray. We’re going to try and get Natsu and Lucy to realise they love each other. But for that, they need to be left alone. Natsu is probably better now, and will ask if you want to move back in with them, but you gotta say you’re having too much fun here. You are having fun here, aren’t you?” Wendy asked kindly, to which Happy nodded.

“If you aren’t okay with this, and want to go be with Natsu, we’ll understand,” Wendy said with concern. She didn’t want the little cat to do something he wasn’t comfortable with.

“No, I want Natsu to marry Lucy. I first wanted him to marry Lisanna, but Lucy makes him laugh more,” Happy said seriously. “I will not let you down Carla! I will make sure that Natsu and Lucy get married!” He began to fly away before Wendy quickly caught him.

“Let’s take it slow, okay? For now, let them spend some alone quality time together,” she said.

“Can I spend alone quality time with Carla?” Happy asked, much to the female Exceed’s irritation. 

Happy flew in through Lucy’s window a little while later, and saw the two of them sitting in the kitchen, laughing about something silly. Happy smiled mischievously.

“You looooove each other!” he cackled, drawing their attention. Suddenly, Erza’s face popped into his head and he clammed up. 

“Hey little buddy! I’ve missed you!” Natsu exclaimed. “Look, I can stand by myself!” Natsu said as he gingerly stood up.

“That’s awesome Natsu!” Happy tackled him with a hug.

“Okay, dinner,” Lucy announced, bringing a pot onto the table. 

When plates had been cleared and Happy was full, he got up to give Natsu a goodbye hug.

“Happy, I’m better now. You can stay here if you want to,” Natsu said, fully expecting Happy to fly straight to the couch and make himself comfortable.

“Yeah, Happy. Natsu should be able to hang out with you, now that he isn’t sleeping all the time,” Lucy agreed.

As much as Happy wanted to, he remembered the secret mission he was a part of. He wanted his best friend to get married. And so, with the guiltiest expression he could muster, Happy said, “Natsu, please don’t feel bad… But Wendy said she'll take me fishing. And Carla and I go flying around the town. Lily promised he'll come with us too, next time. And we have so much fun together. I promise to still come eat meals with you, but please is it okay if I continue to stay with Wendy until you’re able to take me fishing and take me into town?” A part of Happy was truly sad at not being with his best friend, but he knew the secret mission was more important.

“Oh. Yeah, of course, buddy. You come here whenever you want, okay?” A very confused Natsu pulled Happy in for a hug before the Exceed flew out the window.

That night, when Lucy and Natsu were lying in bed, Natsu turned to face Lucy.

“Hey Luce?”

Lucy flipped onto her side to look at him.

“Why do you think Happy’s acting so strange? It’s most unlike him to not want to hang out with me…”

“Yeah, you’re right,” said an equally confused Lucy. “Maybe he just doesn’t like seeing you not be able to run around with him. He must still be a little sad, and Wendy and Carla are probably distracting him,” Lucy rationalised.

“I just hope he doesn’t get bored of me,” Natsu said a little glumly.

Lucy threw her arm around him, hugging him tightly. “Of course he won’t Natsu. When he sees you up and about, perfectly fit, everything will go back to normal, I'm sure of it.”

Natsu put an arm around Lucy and returned her hug. 

“Yeah. Thanks Luce,” he mumbled.

They fell asleep like that, locked in an embrace. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Day 2 done and it's feeling real cute up in here. I've personally never fallen in love with my best friend, but those of you who have, what was it like? When did you realise they were more than your friend? How did it go? I'd love to hear your stories!


	5. Chapter 5

**Day 3**

Lucy lounged on her couch, having removed herself from the sleeping Dragon Slayer’s hold nearly an hour before.

She had woken up with Natsu’s arm still draped over her, which had made her blush furiously. After carefully extricating herself from his embrace, she made herself a cup of tea and curled up on the couch.

As she flipped through the novel she was reading, she internally chastised herself.   
_ He’s just your friend, Lucy. This is normal friend behaviour. Relax! _

But nevertheless, a small part of her -- a part that she kept deeply suppressed -- knew that she wouldn’t have blushed as much if she’d woken up to find Gray’s or Erza’s arm around her like that.

“Morning Lucy,” Natsu’s voice snapped her out of her reverie.

Cane in hand, he stood leaning against the doorframe and panting heavily.

“Oh my god!” Lucy shrieked, and it took all her self control to not hurl herself at him. “Natsu! You walked here by yourself!” 

“Yeah, no shit dummy. But it did take me 5 whole minutes to walk the 30 steps from your bedroom to here.”

Lucy ran up to him and held his free hand, wanting to help him to the couch.

“Nah nah, in a minute. Let me just lean here for a bit,” Natsu continued to pant. “Walking’s exhausting, man. How did I do so much of it earlier? Plus the pain has kinda flared up, so resting here is feeling good,” he patted Lucy’s hand.

“Pain? How long have you been in pain for?” She caught that comment and wasn’t going to let it go.

“It’s nothing, Luce. Forget about it.”

“Natsu.” Her voice was dangerous.

“Fine,” he groaned resignedly, “it went away for a few hours after Wendy rubbed the salve, but then it came back.”

“Salve?” Lucy thought back. “Natsu, that was two days ago! Plus Wendy left the salve in the kitchen! Why didn’t you just tell me? I’d have helped!” Lucy shouted.

“I didn’t know she left it, now did I? What was I supposed to do, huh?” Natsu shouted back.

“You were supposed to tell me that you were in pain!” Lucy was beyond caring about any disturbed neighbours.

“Okay! My back and my legs hurt! Are you happy now?!” 

Lucy stopped. 

“Of course I’m not  _ happy  _ that you told me you're in pain, Natsu,” she cupped his face gently. He leaned into her touch. “I just wish you’d told me sooner so that you wouldn’t have suffered.”

Natsu placed his hand on top of hers. 

“I didn’t suffer, Luce. You were with me,” he grinned brightly.

She smiled at him, her heart feeling like it was going to burst, before she dropped her hand.

“Alright, I’m getting that salve. Don’t go anywhere,” she warned.

“Couldn’t even if I wanted to,” he mumbled.

When Lucy pulled the back of his T-shirt up, she sighed in relief. While the centre of his back was still violently purple, the spider web around it had significantly shrunk. She scooped some of the cool salve into her fingers and carefully spread it across his back. Natsu let out a happy little sigh as he felt his pain immediately ebb away. Lucy gently ran her fingers over his back, feeling his defined muscles. Natsu closed his eyes at her touch. Her fingers unknowingly traced up his sides and over his shoulders until Lucy realised that she was feeling up her best friend and yanked her hand back.

“That felt good, Luce. Thanks,” Natsu said throatily.

“Ye-yeah, of course,” Lucy replied, a little shaky.

“Okay, go sit on the couch. I’ll walk to you!”

Lucy laughed and plopped down on the couch. Natsu wasn’t lying when he said he was slow. It took him a couple minutes to walk from the doorframe to Lucy, who was sitting 10 steps away, but when he got to her, she stretched her hands out, holding him as he collapsed onto the couch. He rested his head against the backrest and shut his eyes as he breathed heavily. Lucy held his hand and gave it a gentle squeeze, incredibly proud of her friend. Natsu turned to face her and smiled, his breathing still fairly shaky as he returned the squeeze.

Lucy brought breakfast to the couch, giving Natsu’s legs a break. After having eaten, Natsu was happy to continue sitting there, so Lucy quickly went around the house, picking up a blanket, the deck of cards, a couple books, and a board game. She pulled a stool and lifted his legs onto it before curling up next to him with a book. She handed him a book of his own, which he refused.

“Can you read to me instead?” he asked.

“I’m reading a romance novel, Natsu,” Lucy said with a deadpan expression.

“So? I like love stories!” Natsu said defensively.

“If you make fun, or make a stupid expression, or say something dumb…” Lucy threatened.

“I won’t! I promise,” Natsu assured her.

So Lucy began. She read about two people who fell in love, but couldn’t be with each other. She read about their struggles and the people they had to fight, just so they could see one another. As Lucy read, Natsu slipped his arm around her back, his hand resting at her hip. She momentarily stiffened before snuggling closer to him, continuing to read as her audience sat riveted.

Several chapters later, Lucy straightened up.

“Okay, enough for now. We’ll read more later,” she said, closing the book.

“No! What happens? I need to know if they stay together!” Natsu protested, clawing at the book.

“Natsu, I need to make lunch! Happy will be here soon anyway,” she said, walking towards the kitchen.

Right on schedule, Happy arrived while Lucy was cooking. After asking Natsu how he was doing and other pleasantries, Happy felt his insides at war. On the one hand, he had to talk to Natsu about something important, but on the other hand, Erza.

Happy dropped his voice to a whisper. “Hey Natsu, you love Lucy, don’t you?” The cat immediately had a vision of Erza swinging her katana at him.

“Yeah, of course I do. Why?” Natsu also whispered.

“No, not like how you love me. You  _ love _ love her, no?” In Happy’s head, he was already decapitated.

Natsu didn’t respond. He sat back, a puzzled expression on his face.

“Where’s this coming from, Happy?” he asked, his voice returning to its normal decibel.

“Shhhh!” Happy pointed in the general direction of the kitchen. “You always protect her, and you’re extra happy with her, so you must love her. I love Carla, and she makes me feel the way you feel about Lucy,” Happy explained in a hushed voice.

“She’s my friend, Happy. My best friend, after you…” Natsu paused. He ran a hand through his hair. “I don’t know, Happy,” he shrugged.

After lunch, Happy flew back to Wendy’s a little disappointed. He was worried that he had gone and made things weird, and then Erza would  _ really  _ kill him.

Back at Lucy’s, Natsu had been strangely quiet all evening. Lucy was worried, but he didn’t look like he was in pain, rather, he looked lost in thought. 

"Natsu? Is something wrong? Are you in pain?" Lucy asked hesitantly.

"Huh?" he asked, before processing what Lucy had asked. "No, Luce, I'm good. I'm not in pain, don't worry," he said distractedly. Lucy nodded, still unconvinced. 

He hadn’t bothered Lucy when she worked on her writing, and he didn’t once tell her he was bored. He flipped through a magazine, but Lucy could tell he wasn’t paying much attention to it.

Lucy thought back, wondering if she’d said something to upset him, but she didn’t recall anything. She then considered the possibility that Happy may have said something, but that seemed unlikely as well.    
_ He doesn’t look sad… And he doesn’t look angry… And I doubt he’s in pain... Ugh! I hate when Natsu is thinking! I have no idea what’s going on in his head when he gets like that! _ Lucy was wracking her brain, trying to figure out what was up with him. 

While Lucy was fretting, Natsu’s mind was going a million miles a minute.  _ Am I in love with Luce? She’s my best friend! But she’s smart, and beautiful, and she makes me laugh. Is that what love is? _ Natsu, who was already so drawn to Lucy, was having trouble recognising the difference between his feelings for her as a friend, and his feelings for her as a possible girlfriend.

“Want to continue reading?” Lucy tentatively asked after a silent dinner. She was scared that Natsu was going insane.

His face brightened at her question, and he nodded. She crawled into bed next to him, book in hand, and curled up into his side. His arm instinctively wove around her, resting against her hip once more. Lucy picked up where they left off, but after a few pages, Natsu interrupted her.

“Luce, do you think these guys were friends before they fell in love?” he asked.

“No, not in this story. They were star-crossed lovers, and it was love at first sight,” Lucy said, almost dreamily.

“Is that how you want to fall in love? Love at first sight?” 

“I’m not sure, Natsu. I’ve never thought about it, really,” Lucy said with a slight frown.

Lucy knew Natsu had more questions, and waited patiently.

Finally, he asked, “Luce, what does being in love feel like?”

Lucy thought about this question for several moments. “I can’t be a hundred percent sure, but I think it’s when you’re with someone who makes you laugh all the time, and who you love even if you’re angry with them, and someone who you think is more gorgeous than any other person ever. I think love is someone you feel happy for when they’re happy, and sad when they’re sad.” The highly suppressed part of Lucy’s brain reared its head and whispered a litany of  _ NatsuNatsuNatsuNatsu _ , but again, Lucy quickly pushed that part deep down.

“Well, then what’s the difference between being in love with someone, and being friends with someone? Best friends, even?” Natsu followed up.

Lucy was stumped. 

“I think… I think that the person you’re in love with should also be your friend, but the things you feel for them will be more than what you feel for your other friends. I don’t know, Natsu. It’s so difficult to explain. Maybe… Maybe it’s like they say -- when you know, you know.” She finished with a shrug.

Natsu seemed satisfied with her answer and nodded. She took that as her signal to continue reading. 

That night, after Lucy declared that she was too tired to read anymore, the pair lay down, facing each other, in what was becoming their standard position. Natsu had one final question playing around his mind.

“Lucy?” he called.

“Hmm?”

“Have you ever been in love?”

The question took Lucy by surprise. 

“I-- I, uh… I…” What could she say? She knew for a fact that she hadn’t been in love  _ before  _ arriving at Fairy Tail. But since then, she could no longer say with complete confidence that she had not been in love.

Natsu smiled softly as she continued to trip over her sentence. He reached out and squeezed her shoulder.

“Yeah, me too, Luce.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Is this progress??? Are they actually thinking about each other romantically?? Do they just stay in perpetual state of awkwardness?? So many questions.  
> Let me know what you think!


	6. Chapter 6

**Day 4**

“You did  _ what?! _ ” 

“I’m sorry, Erza, please don’t cut my head off with your big sword,” Happy was cowering behind Carla as the redhead loomed menacingly over him.

“What happened to the secret mission, Happy?” Wendy asked gently.

“Yeah, man, what if it’s all weird with them now? We’ll have to deal with their sexual tension  _ forever! _ ” Gray chimed in, exasperatedly. Then he froze. “Oh no… This was a bad idea, guys!”

“Why is that?” Carla finally piped up.

“If their sexual tension is bad now, imagine how gross they’ll be on missions if they actually  _ date?! _ ” His face fell into his hands. 

Erza smacked Gray on the back of his head. “Either contribute helpfully, or be quiet,” she said with a withering glare. The blue haired mage immediately shut up.

“Erza please don’t kill me, I remembered the secret mission, I swear!” Happy pleaded. “I know Natsu! Someone would have to tell him that he loved Lucy, otherwise he’d never stop to think about it!”

Wendy was quick to jump to his defence, feeling particularly bad for the scared little cat.

“Happy does have a point, guys. Maybe his conversation with Natsu helped things,” she offered, flashing Happy a kind smile.

Erza nodded her head, seeing their logic. “Okay, make sure you have everything. Let’s go, people.”

A few streets away, Lucy and Natsu were curled up on the couch and reading. Lucy was worried that Natsu’s strange behaviour from last night would have trickled into their morning, but the man woke up chirpy as ever. He showed off to Lucy how he could now walk without the cane, and while he still wasn’t fast, he was faster than yesterday. Lucy marveled loudly at how quickly he was healing, deftly pulling up his shirt to look at the ominous bruise that was no longer as ominous. She rubbed more salve onto his back, and they sat in the kitchen with breakfast. 

Natsu managed to coerce Lucy into doing dishes later, so that she could finish the story, and Lucy teased him about being a “big ol’ softie.” Of course, he refuted those accusations most vehemently before limping his way to the couch. Lucy still had her arm around him, but he barely used her for support. And so, there they were. Curled up together, Lucy reading out loud, and Natsu listening in rapt attention. His arm was around her, as usual, and she sat snuggled against his chest, as usual.

With no warning whatsoever, Lucy’s front door burst open. Three wizards and two cats crowded her doorway, frozen in shock when they saw the pair cuddling on the couch.

“You guys ar-- OW!” Gray had begun to ask if they were finally dating, when Erza discreetly, but firmly, stepped on his foot. 

Lucy wanted to grumble about no one ever knocking, but Natsu’s cheery voice cut through first.

“Morning guys! Check this out!” He removed his arm from behind Lucy and pushed himself off the couch.

Multiple gasps ensued. And then Natsu took a slow, slightly rigid step. And then another. And a third. Figuring three steps was enough to impress his friends, he stood with his hands on his hips, beaming.

“Natsu!” They all cried in unison and threw themselves at the man. Lucy rushed up to brace him so that he didn’t lose balance and fall over. 

“You’ve healed so well, Natsu!” Wendy congratulated. Gray and Erza echoed her sentiments, thrilled at his speedy recovery.

“Luce has been a real lifesaver, so I really can’t take all the credit. And your fantastic salve and healing spells, of course, Wendy,” he said, patting the little girl on her head. She blushed and mumbled a “It’s no problem,” in response. 

“Please tell me you guys have eaten breakfast,” Lucy begged, not wanting to cook again.

“Yes, thank you, Lucy,” Erza replied. “There is no need to cook for us, we are here only briefly to check on Natsu and drop off some more stuff. A few people from the guild have sent you things,” she looked at Natsu now. “They wanted to come and check on you, but I told them I’d have to ask if you were up to receiving visitors.”

Natsu thought about it. On the one hand, it would be nice to see everyone, but he didn’t want them to feel bad for him and look at him with pity. Also, they’d have to come to Lucy’s house, and he knew how stressed she’d get, even if she would never admit to it. 

“Nah, Erza. Tell them I say thanks, but I just want to rest up for a couple more days. Tell them I’ll see them back at the guild in no time!” Natsu winked. 

“Natsu, are you sure? I really don’t mind if people come home…” Lucy placed a hand on his shoulder.

“I’m sure, Luce. I think a few more days of some relaxation will have me in fighting shape within no time.”

Erza and Lucy both nodded at his affirmation. 

The group made themselves comfortable around Lucy’s living room. Gray dumped a bag on the couch next to Natsu before settling down on the floor, his back against the armchair Wendy was resting in.

“Hmm what do we have here?” Natsu spoke to the bag as he pulled back the zipper. With every gift he retrieved from the bag, he guessed the sender.

A bottle of wine. “Cana.”

A box of his favourite chocolate. “Lisanna.”

A container of chicken soup. “Mira.”

More Sorcerer Weekly magazines. “Mira, again.” “Actually, that’s Macao,” Erza corrected. “Dirty old geezer,” Natsu mumbled affectionately.

A Get-Well-Soon card with two stick figure boys and a poorly drawn flying cat. “Romeo.”

More books. “Levy. Or Freed. Damn, do these guys not know me?”

A toy guitar. “Gajeel. That guy is one weird dude,” Natsu shook his head.

The last thing to come out of the bag was definitely the most extravagant. It was a lacrima screen that Natsu could watch movies on.

“Holy shit! Erza, who gave this to me? This is  _ crazy _ expensive!” Natsu’s jaw was on the floor.

“About that. It’s not a gift. It’s been loaned to you by Laxus. He wanted me to give you this note,” Erza handed Natsu a folded piece on paper.

In messy handwriting, the note very simply read:

_ You get to keep this only until your legs start working. Once they do, this comes back to me, and I go back to kicking your ass. If there is so much as one tiny scratch on this, I will do more damage to you than a hundred monsters combined. Got that? Take care, kid. _

Natsu cracked a watery smile. “Laxus misses me,” he said, touched.

“Everyone in the guild misses you, dumb ass. It’s too quiet with you not around,” Gray said warmly.

“No one around to give you a good beating, huh, Popsicle? Give me a few more days and I’ll make sure you remember who your daddy is,” Natsu cracked his knuckles.

“Oh, I can’t wait, Matchstick. I’m going to grind you into hot pepper powder,” Gray retaliated menacingly.

“And, we’re out of here,” Erza grabbed Gray and pulled him towards the door. “I, for one, have enjoyed their lack of bickering, and I will not have either of you fools disrupt that.”

The gang waved their goodbyes and left, Happy included.

When they were back out on the street, they all broke into whispered commentary about the cuddle they had found Natsu and Lucy in. Happy was the only one not focusing on that. He flew around above their heads, loudly cheering “Erza isn’t going to kill me!” 

“Lucy?” Natsu called.

“Yeah?” she shouted from the kitchen as she cleared up dishes.

“It’s bothering me that Happy still isn’t staying here. What do you think is going on?”

Lucy walked towards Natsu on the couch, drying her hands on a hand towel.

“Honestly, I don’t know. Ask him when he comes by next,” Lucy suggested.

“Yeah… It’s just weird.”

“Don’t worry, Natsu. I wouldn’t read too far into it. It’s probably exactly as he says. He might just be having a lot of fun with Wendy, and more importantly Carla. He’ll be back. You’re that little guy’s whole world.”

“I just miss him a little,” Natsu shrugged.

Lucy reached over and cupped his face briefly. Just as she dropped her hand, Natsu caught it, intertwining their fingers.

“But I have you,” he smiled at her warmly.

“And I have you,” she said, returning the smile. 

Natsu was well on his way to being entirely healed. Though he would probably be more comfortable with the cane, he refused to use it, instead choosing to walk very slowly. Lucy no longer had to help Natsu in and out of his bath, but when he went in to bathe, she hovered near the bathroom door, just in case he needed anything. The pair spent the rest of afternoon reading, and when they finally got to the part when the hero and heroine ran away together, Natsu shut the book.

“Man, that was a good story, Luce!” he said, stretching.

Lucy rolled her eyes. “Natsu, we were only halfway through.”

“What more is left to happen? They got together, didn’t they?”

“Yeah, but their families still don’t want them together, and there’s that guy who’s trying to kill them both, so we have to read on and figure out how they deal with that!” Lucy flipped the book back open and continued reading.

That evening, after an early dinner and a game of cards, Natsu suggested watching a movie together. 

“We can get the bottle of wine Cana gave you,” Lucy offered. “Unless you were saving it for another time!” She quickly added.

“Even if it was for another time, I’d still end up drinking it with you, so today is as good a day as any,” Natsu grinned.

They spent several minutes weighing the pros and cons of watching in bed versus watching on the couch, but finally, being able to lean back and stretch their legs won, so they headed to the bedroom. Lucy brought the bottle and two glasses, while Natsu carefully carried the lacrima screen. They settled in, but not before Lucy threatened to strangle him in his sleep if he spilled wine onto her sheets. Natsu pointed out that, with his reflexes and her lack thereof, she’d be more likely to spill, which Lucy had to grudgingly agree to.

They picked out a movie they’d both like -- it had enough adventure for Natsu, but still managed to weave in a steamy romance for Lucy. 

They sat propped up against multiple pillows. Natsu had the screen resting on his bent knees and his arm draped over Lucy’s shoulders. Her head was on his shoulder as he absentmindedly played with her hair. Midway through the movie, they realized that they’d finished half the bottle, and decided to re-cap it, saving it for tomorrow. 

They both sat, completely enthralled, as the movie unfolded. When the villain suddenly jumped out, Lucy shrieked, jolting a little before curling into Natsu, one hand now resting on his chest. When the protagonist kissed the leading lady, Natsu heard Lucy’s heartbeat quicken, and she felt his do the same under her hand. They both glanced at each other, before their cheeks darkened and their gaze quickly returned to the screen. They watched in near silence, though the occasional quip or observation would slip through. Natsu had begun to gently caress Lucy’s neck, drawing circles there with his thumb, which prompted Lucy to trace patterns on his chest, neither one immediately recognising what was happening. And though they did eventually notice, neither stopped, feigning ignorance at the intimacy they were both craving. When the movie finally ended, Lucy slipped out of bed to carefully place the lacrima screen on the table before turning off all the lights and sliding back in.

“Did you like the movie?” Natsu whispered as they faced each other.

“Yeah, it was really good,” Lucy whispered back.

“Yeah… I had a good time watching it with you, Luce. It almost…” Natsu trailed off.

“‘It almost’ what?”

“It almost felt like a-- like a date,” Natsu had his eyes screwed shut in embarrassment and was grateful for the darkness.

Lucy was also grateful for the darkness, given that her cheeks were now furiously red. Natsu wasn’t saying anything, waiting for her to respond. 

“It was a really nice date,” she whispered so quietly that, if Natsu hadn’t been a Dragon Slayer, he probably wouldn’t have heard her. 

“Luce?”

“Yeah?”

“I want to try something, but please don’t Lucy Kick me, okay?”

“Okay.”

In the dark, Natsu leaned over, very slowly, very hesitantly. He inched his face closer to Lucy’s, and then, he pressed the softest kiss against her lips. He pulled back slightly, unsure of how she’d respond. Part of him was furious at his idiocy, worried that he’d now ruined everything. That part was quickly silenced when Lucy returned the kiss, gently brushing her lips against his. 

Natsu stroked her cheek before pulling her into him. With her head resting on his chest and his arms encircling her waist, the two best friends fell asleep, warring thoughts of joy and confusion clouding their minds. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We love supportive friends and awkward first kisses! What does day 5 hold for these two confused little lovebirds?


	7. Chapter 7

**Day 5**

Lucy woke up with her chest pressed into Natsu’s back, her face tucked into his neck. Her leg was thrown over his hip and her arm was slung across his chest. She carefully sat up, not wanting to wake him. Leaning over to look at his face, she felt a blush creep up her neck at the memory of their soft kiss. She bent down and fluttered her lips over his cheek, before turning away and attempting to quietly slide out of bed.

A hand gripped her wrist and pulled her back, sending her careening into the Dragon Slayer’s chest.

“Morning, Luce,” Natsu mumbled groggily. He cracked an eye open. “Have I ever told you that you have really funny bedhead?” Lucy slapped his chest. “You still look pretty though,” he whispered, gazing down at the beautiful blonde. Lucy’s blush rose to her cheeks.

“Did you sleep well?” she asked.

“Best night of sleep in a long time, Luce.”

The pair lay in silence, looking at each other.

“Natsu, about--”

“Lucy, I--”

They both spoke in unison, before chuckling.

“You first,” Lucy offered.

“I wanted to talk about last night… You know… Our kiss?” Natsu said hesitantly.

“Yeah, that’s what I was going to talk to you about too,” she sounded no more confident than he did.

“Do you regret it?” Natsu asked quietly.

“What?!” Lucy exclaimed, jerking up. “No, not at all,” she said, laying her head back down on his chest. She tilted her face up to meet his gaze once more. “Do you?” she breathed.

“No, of course not,” Natsu said, drifting his hand up and down her spine. “I don’t know how to explain it to you, Lucy. I think I may have liked you for a while, but I didn’t know I liked you, you know? It wasn’t until Happy brought it up the other day--”

“That’s why you were acting strange!" Lucy exclaimed. Natsu raised an eyebrow. " Sorry, continue, ” she said sheepishly. Lucy was glad she’d finally cracked that mystery.

“You’re such a weirdo… Anyway, yeah, I didn’t know I liked you, but I do. It’s like you said -- you’re my friend, my best friend, but I also feel more-- more--...” Natsu tried to find a word to best explain it, “more  _ everything  _ when I’m with you than when I am with Gray or Erza or Lisanna or anyone else. So… Yep. That’s what I had to say.” Natsu finished awkwardly. "Your turn," he said, passing the metaphorical baton.

“I think I always knew I liked you,” Lucy began. “But… I don’t know, I thought we were just best friends and so I…” she trailed off. Embarrassed, she looked away.

Natsu gently held her chin, urging her to meet his gaze. “Luce, you’re so much more than  _ just _ my best friend,” he murmured.

He leaned down and captured her lips. It wasn’t the same tentative, soft kiss they’d shared last night. This kiss was passionate and deep. Lucy gripped the front of Natsu’s T-shirt and he wound his arms around her waist, their lips moving in perfect synchrony. When they broke apart, flushed and slightly out of breath, they looked deeply into each other's eyes for a few moments before Lucy let out a faint giggle. Natsu answered with a slight chuckle of his own. This soon devolved into raucous laughter as the pair held onto one another, chortling till their sides hurt. Neither one knew why they were laughing, but the return to the familiar space of friendship put them both at ease. Lucy pressed a quick kiss to Natsu’s lips before hopping out of bed and heading to the kitchen to get breakfast ready.

Eating breakfast together, it felt like nothing had changed. They continued to bicker and laugh and tease one another as they always did. And though Lucy could not forget the kisses they shared, sitting with him like this, made the kisses seem like something from a dream. But when she was standing in front of her cabinet, attempting to put things away, Natsu wrapped an arm around her waist and ghosted his lips over the side of her neck. Suddenly, their kiss no longer seemed like a dream. In fact, Lucy could almost feel his lips against hers once more.

This dance, between their familiarity as friends and their nervousness as admirers, continued into the afternoon. As the sun climbed high into the sky, Lucy and Natsu were lounging on the sofa, with Lucy reading their novel. Seeing him so captivated by the story stirred something within her and she pulled his head down into a kiss. It was amazing to be able to kiss him whenever she wanted, but she was hesitant still. She wasn’t sure where they currently stood.

“Natsu, can I ask you something?” Her voice wavered just slightly.

“Of course, anything,” Natsu replied, his eyebrows pulling together.

“What are we? We were best friends, but now…What is going on here?” She pushed back to be able to look at his face better.

“Lucy,” Natsu’s voice was firm, but warm, “we will  _ always  _ be best friends. No matter what else changes, that never will. But, I don’t want to be  _ only  _ your best friend,” he gazed at her knowingly. 

It was enough to satisfy the celestial mage, who pulled herself onto his lap and pressed a searing kiss to his lips. Natsu responded by grabbing her hips and shifting her so that she was now straddling him. She wove her hands through his hair, nipping at his bottom lip. Natsu growled, pushing his tongue into her mouth. They made out furiously for many minutes, hands roving each other's bodies, lips pressed together, tongues battling, teeth nipping at each other's necks. When Lucy ran out of breath, she pulled back, letting her forehead rest against Natsu’s. 

“Yep,” he panted, “I  _ definitely _ don’t want to only be your best friend.”

Lucy breathily chuckled in response.

Lucy stayed on his lap as they caught their breath. 

"Are we gonna have a second date today?" Natsu smirked. 

"Does flipping through Sorcerer Weekly count as a date?" 

"God, Luce, where's your inner romantic?" Natsu picked up the book now lying forgotten on the couch. "You think these two read Sorcerer Weekly whenever they got some time alone together?" he asked, aggressively tapping the cover. 

Lucy flopped off Natsu's lap, thinking of what they could do. Worst case, they could always watch another movie. She stared ahead at the cream wall in front of her, and suddenly, an idea struck. 

"Okay, give me 20 minutes, I'll be right back," she scrambled off the couch. She hurriedly slipped her feet into some shoes and grabbed her wallet before dashing out the door. 

"Wh--what just happened?" A very confused Natsu sat staring at the open door. He removed himself from the couch to go shut it. 

He was no longer incredibly slow, and though he still got tired if he was on his feet for too long, his pain was virtually non-existent. He sprawled out across the couch, and tried reading the novel. Deciding it wasn't as fun as when Lucy read to him, he abandoned it in favour of a Sorcerer Weekly magazine. 

As promised, Lucy came hurtling back home 20 minutes later, swinging a plastic bag from her hands. She placed it down in a corner, with a warning "No Peeking" glare thrown at Natsu. She escaped into her bedroom and emerged two minutes later in cotton shorts and a faded tank top. She was gripping a plastic sheet in her hand.

"You might want to take your top off for the next part," she winked. 

"Why…?" Natsu hesitantly reached for the hem of his T-shirt. 

Lucy bent over the bag and proudly pulled out a can of paint and brushes.

"I told you we'd do some art," she grinned. 

"I'm just glad it isn't crayons," Natsu said as he pulled his T-shirt off. While he realised he could have found an old shirt to replace the nicer one he took off, Lucy's eyes drifting over his half naked body told him that he had best remain in this state of undress. 

Lucy appreciatively eyed his chiseled abdomen and the defined V peeking out over his low slung sweatpants. After allowing herself another minute to check him out, she tossed a brush at him that he deftly caught. She spread the sheet out on the ground and cracked the paint can open. Natsu kneeled down next to it, noting its pretty lilac colour.

“I like it,” he commented as Lucy stuck her brush in and stirred it around. She pulled the brush up, watching the extra paint drip back into the can. Her finger darted under the drips, catching one on the tip of her index finger. She looked up at Natsu, eyes glinting evilly, and quickly ran her paint-tipped finger across his cheek. Natsu’s eyes widened in shock, and in typical Natsu fashion, his retaliation was far more extreme than Lucy had expected. He dipped his brush into the can and dragged it from Lucy’s shoulder, across her chest, down to the opposite hip. He finished by flicking it at her, covering her in a dusting of purple spots. 

Lucy picked up the paint can to dump on his head, but decided that her wall needed it more than his pink hair did. And so the paint fight ceased somewhat. The occasional flick or smear were inevitable, mainly because Lucy wanted to ensure that Natsu was finally covered in as much paint as she was. 

They took a break midway to finish the wine from yesterday, and Lucy took that opportunity to finger paint a smiley face and flowers on Natsu’s exposed chest. She briefly went around to look at his back, worried about paint touching the bruise, but the spider web had now almost entirely faded, and the purple centre was morphing into a yellow-green spot. 

The sun had sunk below the horizon by the time they were done with the wall. They sat on the floor, admiring their handiwork. Sure, it wasn’t the neatest wall -- paint streaks and drips dotted a few sections, but overall, Lucy was pleased with the new addition to her home. They picked up around the living room, and while Lucy washed the brushes, Natsu wiped down any errant paint splatters on the floor. 

“I’m going for a shower!” Lucy called.

“Can I come?” Natsu asked cheekily, walking to the bedroom.

“You know the third date rule. We’ve only had two dates so far, Mr. Dragneel,” Lucy reprimanded teasingly before sequestering herself in the bathroom. She let the warm water wash over her as she gently scrubbed herself free of paint. After rinsing shampoo out of her hair, she let her fingers drift down to her lips, remembering the feel of Natsu’s hot mouth on hers. She blushed and wrapped her arms around her frame, hugging herself as she smiled broadly. Her heart felt full, and she was convinced that it was going to soon explode. The weeks and months she’d spent pushing down her feelings for the pink-haired boy came rushing to the surface in a tidal wave of happiness. She involuntarily let out a little squeak of joy, before clamping a hand over her mouth and giggling into it. 

After a long shower, she walked out to see the paint-stained boy lying on the floor, flat on his back. An open book lay on his face. He wasn't moving. Lucy’s heart stopped. She ran to him, falling on her knees, and shaking his shoulders.

“Natsu!” she cried.

His hand shot up, swatting the book away from his face. He sat up with a sputter. “Huh? What happened?” He noticed the worry in Lucy’s face. Grabbing her shoulders, he pulled her to him. “Luce, what happened? Are you okay?” he asked, rocking her gently and stroking her hair.

She pushed him back and smacked his chest. “You gave me a bloody heart attack! Why were you on the ground with a book on your face, idiot?” she shouted.

“I got bored and must have fallen asleep, obviously! You’re the idiot! The idiot who takes very long showers!” Natsu yelled back.

“But why were you on the floor?” Lucy’s voice was somewhat softer now.

“Because you’ll kill me if I get paint on your sheets,” Natsu rolled his eyes as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. Lucy thought about it, and decided he was probably right. 

She looked at him apologetically, cupping his cheek. “Sorry for yelling, Natsu,” she offered a smile. He brought her hand to his lips and kissed her palm.

“Sorry I gave you a heart attack,” he grinned. “But honestly, Luce, that’s kind of on you. As much as I love you, I'm still probably going to keep doing stupid things. Me giving you a routine heart attack isn't likely to change,” Natsu shrugged, pushing himself off the ground and walking to the bathroom for his shower.

Lucy remained frozen in place. Natsu had said he loved her. Just like that. Like it was no big deal. And she hadn’t said anything back. Those three words, said so nonchalantly, had sent her brain into a tailspin. She moved woodenly to the bed.

_ Natsu loves me _ , she thought,  _ and I like him a lot. No, who am I kidding? I’ve been in love with him for a long time now. But I didn’t say it back. Why didn’t I say it back? Lucy, you dumbass! He’s probably in there thinking you don’t love him! Okay, as soon as he comes out, say it. Just like he did. Like no big deal. You got this, Lucy! _

With her pep talk done, she sat at the edge of her bed, readying herself for when Natsu made his appearance. The bathroom door opened, Lucy’s stomach coiled, she opened her mouth to say the words, and… Natsu spoke first.

“Luce, I’m starved. Can we eat now?”

Lucy considered saying it now, but the moment had passed. She nodded, and they went to the kitchen to eat. After dinner, Natsu sweetly pressed a kiss to her cheek, thanking her for the meal. Lucy decided to say it now, but faltered. 

Later, they played a board game in bed, and with every roll of the dice, she wanted to say it, but it never felt right. It never felt as easy and as natural as when Natsu had said it. And so she didn’t say anything.

That night, after her Dragon Slayer was asleep, Lucy brought her face close to his. She ghosted a kiss across his lips.

“I love you too,” she whispered, before curling into his chest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As the writer, I may be biased, but I think this fluffiness is cute as shit. Just saying.


	8. Chapter 8

**Day 6**

“Do you think they’ll be cuddling again?” Wendy asked.

“Ugh!” Gray groaned. “They need to move past cuddling! I don’t care if it makes things weird on missions. If I have to deal with their sexual tension for one more day, I’ll-- Ugh!” 

“Relax, Gray. You need to give these things time. I predict that by the end of the year, the two will be an official couple,” Erza declared with a sweep of her long, red hair.

“Year?! No way, ” Gray scoffed. “They better be together by the end of the  _ month  _ or I'm going to bash their heads in!"

The young sky mage decided to add her two cents. “I think they’ll be together by the end of the week,” she said with confidence.

Gray and Erza looked at her in disbelief, then at each other, before erupting with laughter.

“Oh, sweet Wendy. How little you know of the ways of the heart,” Erza laughed, pulling the little girl into a hug.

“It’s okay, kid. You’ll figure it out soon enough. Maybe with a certain young man named Romeo?” Gray winked as he ruffled her hair. Wendy forcefully stepped on his foot in response.

“Why don’t you guys bet on it? The losers have to give the winner 50 jewels each,” Happy piped up.

“While I generally don’t condone betting, the tom cat has a good idea. You three should bet on it,” Carla seconded.

“What say, guys? Losers pony up 50 jewels each?” Gray invited.

Erza and Wendy nodded, agreeing to the terms.

Once more, they burst into Lucy’s apartment, without knocking, of course. The couch was empty. 

“No cuddling going on here,” Gray whispered.

From the kitchen they heard Lucy yell, “If you enter my home without knocking one more time!” And so the five of them followed her voice. Natsu was at the table, popping fruit into his mouth, while Lucy was pouring juice into two glasses. The smell of muffins permeated the kitchen. 

“Please tell me there’s muffins for all of us,” Happy pleaded.

“Yes,” Lucy grumbled. “I had a nasty feeling you’d all be showing up today.” Her face was set in a scowl.

“Hey guys! Check this out!” Natsu beamed.

_ They know he can walk,  _ Lucy thought to herself,  _ what more does he want to show them? Maybe it’s how much faster he’s--  _

Her train of thought was cut off by Natsu grabbing her by the waist and spinning her, before firmly planting his lips on hers. She instinctively moved her hands to his jaw, deepening their kiss. She briefly permitted his tongue entry, before remembering that they had an audience. She shoved the man off of her. 

“Natsu!” She hissed.

Naturally, he didn’t care. He grinned widely at his friends. Lucy looked at them, embarrassed. She was expecting to see several dropped jaws and wide eyes. Instead, the five individuals stood there with deadpan expressions. All of a sudden, Gray and Erza both yelled “GODDAMNIT!” simultaneously.

Wendy pumped her fist with a satisfied smirk, before holding out her hand. “Pony up, losers,” she giggled.

Gray and Erza grudgingly placed crumpled notes in her open palm.

"What's going on?" the blonde mage asked, after watching the transaction with utter confusion. 

"Erza had been out of the running to begin with, but couldn't you guys have kept your tongues in your respective mouths for like two more weeks?" Gray begged. 

"Uh, yeah, again, what's going on?" Natsu echoed Lucy's question. 

"We had a bet on when you guys would finally get together, and these two said I didn't know anything about love and relationships. Look who's laughing now," the little girl cackled with an evil glint in her eye. 

"What do you mean 'when we'd get together'?" Lucy looked at the group with a raised eyebrow. 

"Lucy, we're hardly blind, you know?" Erza smirked. 

"Yeah. Your sexu--" Gray started before Erza interrupted him with a "Gray, so help me god, if you say sexual tension one more time." 

"Was  _ killing  _ us!" Gray finished dramatically. 

"I was part of it too, Natsu!" Happy flew over to his best friend. "I'm sorry I didn't hang out with you when you weren't well, but it was part of the secret mission, so that you and Lucy could have some alone quality time! I hope you're not mad at me," he looked at Natsu, worried. 

"Of course not, little buddy! I could never be mad at you! I was worried that you were bored of me!" Natsu replied, hugging his friend. 

The group was gathered in the living room, making themselves comfortable. Erza commented on the wall, which prompted Natsu to tell them about their second date. Erza, Wendy, and Carla cooed at how romantic the whole thing was. 

Lucy brought the hot muffins out, and everyone picked one up. She settled on the couch next to Natsu, who reached out and pulled her into his side. This elicited another coo from their audience. 

"I'm still not one hundred percent clear on why you guys weren't more surprised by us being together," Lucy said, biting into her muffin. 

"Basically the entire guild could see how much you both just wanted to jump each other's bones. Only you two dimwits hadn't opened your eyes wide enough," Gray mumbled, his mouth full of muffin. 

"Who you calling dimwit, huh, knucklehead?" Natsu began to stand up, ready to attack Gray, before Lucy grabbed his shirt and yanked him back down. 

"Gray is right. It was obvious to all of us that the two of you cared for each other. While none of us are happy that Natsu was gravely injured, it did prove to be quite a fortuitous occasion for the two of you to possibly kindle that romance. It has progressed far quicker than I had expected, if I'm being honest, but maybe I am more reserved in that respect," Erza admitted with a slight smile. 

Gray coughed violently, with a “Please bang Jellal” muffled somewhere in between. Erza glared at him, but the violently pink flush of her cheeks gave her away. 

“I’m glad you guys found an ulterior goal outside my broken body,” Natsu grunted, but his eyes twinkled.

“Are you happy you’re with Lucy? Yes. How you got there-- Rather, how  _ we _ got you there is besides the point,” Gray said with a nonchalant tilt of his head. 

“Stop taking credit for my love life, Icy,” Natsu smirked.

The gang continued to bicker, but everyone’s sheer happiness at their two friends having found love kept the conversation entirely jovial.

Eventually, they decided to head to the guild, gushing over the new relationship one last time before taking their leave. Happy began flying out too, before Natsu’s voice stopped him.

“Hey, Happy! Hang back for a minute, will ya? I want to talk to you,” he called. Lucy read that as her cue to leave the room, giving the two some privacy. 

Happy flew back and perched himself next to Natsu.

“You sure you’re not mad at me for lying to you, Natsu?” Happy asked, concerned.

“Nah, of course not. You were doing it to make me happy, buddy. Plus, if it hadn’t been for our little conversation the other day, I might not have realised that I love Lucy,” Natsu patted the blue Exceed’s head affectionately.

“That’s what I told Erza!” Happy cheered.

“I wanted to talk to you about two things. The first, and most important thing, was that I want to know how you feel about me dating Lucy. Are you okay with it? Please tell me if you feel weird or it makes you uncomfortable. It’s important to me that you are happy that I’m with her,” Natsu’s face was serious. 

“Of course, Natsu! Lucy is my third best friend! Just as long as you both don’t ignore me and leave me alone while you go off and do romantic things, okay? Sometimes is fine, but not all the time. I get lonely without you,” Happy put his small paw over Natsu’s hand.

Natsu grabbed Happy and yanked him into a hug.

“Never, buddy. I’d never leave you alone, I promise,” he squeezed the cat.

“You can… Sometimes… S’okay… Natsu… Can’t breathe,” Happy gasped, until Natsu let him go. “What’s the second thing?”

“Okay, you may need to get Wendy or Erza to help you with some of this, but I’m going to give you a list of things, and tomorrow, at 5pm, come back here with them. It’s important that Lucy doesn’t find out, okay? I can’t go to town myself yet, that’s why I need you to do this for me, okay?” Natsu whispered.

“Won’t Lucy be here when I bring them back?” Happy whispered back.

“Don’t worry about that, I’ll take care of it.” Natsu clapped the cat on his shoulder.

Happy nodded, taking his job seriously. Natsu scribbled some things on a piece of paper and handed it to Happy, who saluted with a quick "Aye, sir!" before flying out.

“What were you two whispering about?” Lucy called from the bedroom. Natsu made his way there, lying in bed next to her while she read and throwing his arm around her. He snuck his face into the crook of her neck, deeply inhaling her vanilla scent.

“Nothing,” Natsu spoke into her neck, his warm breath tickling her skin. “Just wanted to make sure he was okay with me having a girlfriend and everything.”

Lucy laced her fingers through his soft hair, and unthinkingly rasped, “Girlfriend?” 

“Obviously, crackpot,” Natsu continued to mumble into her neck. “What did you think, we’d just be  _ more than best friends _ forever? It’s quite a mouthful, to be honest.

Lucy blushed and kissed the top of his head. He answered by kissing her neck. 

Lucy asked Natsu if they were having a date that evening, but Natsu refused, a strange twinkle in his eye. Lucy had a sneaking suspicion that something was going on, but didn’t push the matter. Instead, they did decidedly non-date activities like sorting Lucy’s wardrobe or cleaning out the fridge. When tackling her haphazard underwear drawer, Natsu pulled out a particularly skimpy black thong. He held it in front of Lucy with a suggestive wink before she snatched it away and banished him to the kitchen to cook. They spent a good portion of the day methodically cleaning various areas of Lucy’s house. It might have gone by quicker if they didn’t stop every few minutes to make out.

Amidst a pile of clothes, Natsu pinned Lucy against the cupboard, her legs wrapped around him, as their tongues battled for dominance. A few clean shelves later, Lucy was straddling Natsu on the bed, biting at his bottom lip. With a majority of the fridge’s contents scattered on the kitchen floor, Lucy was perched on the countertop as Natsu sucked at the sensitive spot on her neck.

Eventually, when their lips were thoroughly bruised and the house was finally clean, they flopped into bed, exhausted. 

“We could’ve just watched a movie, y’know. If you didn’t want to do an elaborate date,” Lucy groaned as she stretched her aching muscles.

“First of all, it was your idea to clean. Second of all, I’m the injured one, so why are you complaining?” Natsu groaned back.

“Shut up, you’re basically fine. You no longer get to play the injury card,” Lucy rolled over, now lying partially on top of Natsu. 

The quick retort that Natsu had on the tip of his tongue flew out of the window when he saw the gorgeous woman sprawled across his chest. He gripped her under her arms and pulled her up, so that her face was level with his. Lucy shifted herself so that her body was entirely on top of his.

“You’re incredible, Luce,” Natsu said throatily before pulling her lips down to his. 

Their kisses eventually slowed as the pair grew sleepy. Lucy woke up at some point in the middle of the night to find herself still on top of Natsu and so she rolled off before instantly going back to sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're almost done with their week together! I'd love to know what you guys have thought of the piece so far! Day 7 will be the last chapter, but I'm not done with this story! There will be a little something that I'll upload after Day 7!


	9. Chapter 9

**Day 7**

The sun had barely begun to peek over the horizon when a loud yell was heard from Lucy’s bedroom. 

“Last day of confinement!” Natsu sat up and cheered. The sudden sound jolted the blonde out of her slumber. Irritated at having been woken up so rudely, she picked up her pillow and slammed it into his face before returning it to the bed and falling back into it.

“What the hell, Luce?” Natsu sounded affronted as he rubbed his nose. 

“I was sleeping,” she mumbled into her pillow. And then, turning her face to look at him with accusing eyes, she continued, “Plus, you don’t need to sound so happy about your  _ confinement _ being done. It’s not like I was torturing you,” she pouted angrily.

“You know that’s not what I meant, Lucy,” Natsu bent over her, stroking her hair in a move to appease her. “I’ve had the best week with you, but I’m excited to go back to the guild, and see everyone, and take new jobs  _ with you _ .” He kissed her head.

“I know, I’m just sleepy,” Lucy’s voice was once again muffled by her pillow. “Go back to sleep, Natsu,” she grabbed his T-shirt and pulled him down, trapping him under her leg as she dozed off. Natsu tried going back to sleep, but the excitement of being able to see everyone tomorrow kept him up. He managed to wriggle out from under Lucy, giving her cheek a quick kiss, before he went to the kitchen. He was going to make her pancakes for breakfast.

He began rummaging through the cabinets, pulling out everything he believed he needed, without once attempting to consult a recipe book. A mixing bowl was soon piled high with sugar and eggs, plus a sprinkle of flour and a few stray eggshells. Natsu knew that Lucy flavoured her pancakes with vanilla, but he wanted to make these special. Finding a bottle of strawberry syrup in the fridge, Natsu emptied its contents into his bowl before mixing it all together. Batter splattered onto the counter and the floor and the walls. Mercifully, Natsu grabbed the correct griddle, and set it on the stove, turning the flame up high. He was tempted to use a quick Fire Dragon Roar to cook the pancakes in record time, but he didn’t want to be yelled at in case it backfired. He ladled the batter onto the griddle, flipping each circle when they began to smell done. He arranged each pancake neatly on a plate, before delicately decorating it with fruit from Lucy’s fridge.

“Hey, Luce, look what I made for you!” he called as he walked into the bedroom. Lucy sat up and rubbed her eyes. She saw the plate of food in his hands and she felt a pull of affection, until she remembered who was holding the plate.

“It’s pancakes!” Natsu announced proudly, placing the plate on her lap. He handed her a fork.

Lucy steeled herself, cutting into it and taking a bite. It took the entirety of her willpower to not gag.

“Uh, Natsu, honey… How many eggs are in this? And how much syrup have you used?”

“I think there are 12 eggs in total. I lost count, honestly. I was having so much fun cracking them. There may be a couple eggshells in there too, so be careful,” Natsu cautioned.

“I know,” Lucy couldn’t rid her mouth of the taste of eggy strawberries. “I’ve already crunched on one.”

“Oh, and syrup. I put the whole bottle in. Was that not enough?” Natsu asked with the most innocent expression. Lucy no longer had the heart to tell him that his “pancakes” were terrible.

“Why don’t you try a bite?” she asked. Experience would be his best teacher.

She forked a piece of the concoction and fed it to him. He chewed thoughtfully for a moment, swallowed, and then patted himself on the back.

“Not bad at all. Of course, they aren’t as nice as yours, but these are decent!”

Lucy groaned. “You’ll eat anything, won’t you? Natsu, I love you, but these taste like sweet strawberry omelettes!” She said guiltily as her face fell into her hands. “I’m sorry, I know how much effort you put into these, but--” she suddenly stopped. She had said she loved him. To his face. In exactly the same easy, carefree way that he had. She snapped her head up and launched herself at him, wrapping her arms around his neck.

“What gives, Luce? One minute you’re hating on my pancakes, the next you’re throwing yourself at me? You are the strangest person I know…” he returned her hug nonetheless.

“It’s nothing. I love you,” she murmured as she tightened her hug.

“I love you too, Lucy, but that hardly seems like a reason to attack someone.”

Lucy just laughed, kissing her boyfriend’s cheek before she sank back to the bed. She managed to shovel three more bites of Natsu’s disgusting breakfast before she admitted defeat. Natsu happily devoured his gross creation while Lucy munched on the fruit. She had expected the kitchen to be completely destroyed, and was pleasantly surprised when it was only mildly filthy -- by Natsu’s standards. Natsu offered to clean the whole thing by himself, but in all likelihood, Lucy would have to clean up behind him anyway, and so they did it together.

“Sorry about the mess, Luce,” Natsu apologised as they washed the last dish. 

“It’s okay, don’t worry about it. Thank you for trying to make me breakfast,” Lucy said, pressing a kiss to his lips.

“It was pretty good, you know? You’re just a picky eater,” Natsu shrugged, which earned him a solid elbow to the ribs.

After lunch, the two were on the couch. Lucy had her feet in Natsu’s lap as she read, while he fiddled with Laxus’s lacrima screen.

“Are you excited about going on missions again?” Lucy asked, looking up from her book.

“Hell yeah! Can’t wait to go back out there and kick some serious monster butt!” Natsu was fired up.

“Okay, big guy, let’s take it slow, yeah? A week ago you were monster putty, so let’s get back into the groove with some easy jobs first, okay?” Lucy advised.

“Please. I’d beaten that ugly thing black and blue. It was pure luck that it got a swipe at me. The next ugly to cross my path won’t be so lucky,” Natsu’s eyes glinted. 

Lucy had a sinking feeling that Natsu was going to take the most difficult job on the board and drag her along with him for it. 

“Speaking of going back to the guild, and going back home, I need a few things from the town. Will you please go get them for me?” Natsu asked. His eyes quickly flitted to the clock, noting that it was 4:30. Happy would be here soon. 

“Oh, sure. What do you need?” Lucy asked, getting up to pull on her shoes. Natsu grabbed a pen and some paper and began writing.

Five minutes later, Natsu was still writing. 

“That’s a long list you got there, buddy,” Lucy laughed nervously.

“Almost done,” Natsu’s tongue was poking out of the corner of his mouth and his brows were furrowed in concentration. If Lucy hadn’t been so worried about the laundry list he was giving her, she would have nipped at the tip of his tongue.

“Okay, here you go!” Natsu handed her the list.

“Hmm… Tinned fish, bread, shampoo, all should be easy,” her eyes continued to scan the list. “Red matchsticks? Do they have to be red?” She asked Natsu incredulously. He solemnly nodded.

“Wyvern dust? Hair loss potion? Owl quills? Octopus gel?” Lucy’s voice got considerably more shrill with every item she read out.

“Natsu! Where am I going to find these things? Do they even exist?” She was ready to tear her hair out.

“Yes, they exist! I’m confident!” Natsu grinned broadly.

“Why do you need these things? Hair loss potion? Natsu, your hair is thicker than mine!”

“I don’t know, Luce. Macao’s balding and it isn’t a good look. I want to get ahead of the game, you see,” he rationalised. 

Lucy looked at Natsu with her large, doe eyes. “Do I have to get all of these today? What about dinner Natsu?” she pleaded.

“I’ll handle dinner, don’t worry!” 

“Natsu! That worries me  _ more _ ,” Lucy cried, remembering her strawberry omelettes with a shudder.

“We’ll go out and get something. Relax, Luce!” Natsu patted her on the shoulder.

“Fine,” she said sadly. “I’ll be back in a couple hours.”    
Natsu pecked her encouragingly on the cheek before gently smacking her butt.

“See you then, honey!” he waved enthusiastically as she slumped out. 

Right on schedule, Happy flew in through Lucy’s window a few minutes after she’d left.

“Did you bump into Luce?” Natsu asked, to which Happy shook his head. 

Natsu grinned, relieving Happy of the bags he lugged in.

“What are you doing, Natsu?” Happy inquired.

“I’m setting up a romantic date for us,” Natsu winked.

“Oooh you loooove her!” Happy squealed.

“Yes I do, little buddy,” Natsu commented as he neatly laid everything out.

Happy scowled momentarily. “Ugh, it’s no fun if you admit to it,” he mumbled.

The cat helped the pinkette set everything up, and when it was all to Natsu’s liking, he slipped into the bathroom to change. As he was getting the final touches on, Happy yelled, “She’s coming, Natsu!”

The man hurried out of the bathroom, and looked out of the window at which Happy had been standing guard. Surely enough, Lucy was walking back to her apartment. She was mildly fuming at having been sent on an adventure around the town. 

“Okay buddy, that’s your exit. Thanks for everything!” Natsu high-fived his friend before the Exceed flew out the window.

Natsu scrambled to get to the door, standing outside it and partially shutting it behind him.

“Natsu? Why are you outside? And why are you all dressed up?” Lucy’s eyes raked over the stunning man in front of her. He had a crisp white shirt on, buttons at the top left undone, over which he’d thrown on a simple black blazer to match his trousers. Natsu relieved Lucy of her bags and tossed them inside, quickly pulling the door closed once more so that she didn’t peek. He walked around behind her and covered her eyes with his hands. He kicked the door open and led her inside, nudging it shut as they entered. He walked her to the bedroom, shutting the door behind him with his foot. Only then did he let her open her eyes. 

“Okay, wear that,” he pointed to a black dress on the bed, “and meet me outside.” He gave her a quick kiss before slipping out into the living room. 

Lucy picked up the black dress, examining it. It was new, and probably hadn’t been picked out by Natsu, by the looks of it. It was a floor-length, figure-hugging, back-exposing number that had Erza written all over it. 

_ Now even Natsu is part of the secret mission, huh? _ She thought wryly. The understanding that her entire scavenger hunt had been a ruse didn’t elude her, but the curiosity of what waited on the other side of the door stopped her from smacking Natsu for his list.

When she emerged into the living room, freshly dolled up, the sight took her breath away. She wasn’t the only one, however. Natsu’s breath hitched when he saw her, his eyes widening as she looked around in amazement.

“Natsu… This is-- This is so beautiful!” she gasped.

“You’re so beautiful, Luce,” Natsu said throatily. 

Her gaze fell on the fire mage, sitting cross-legged on the floor, on top of a soft carpet. There was a low table with two glasses of wine and two plates of noodles. Lucy took her seat across from him, tucking her legs under her. She gazed around the room once more.

Natsu had strung up fairy lights all over her living room, bathing it in a soft golden glow. Rose petals were strewn across the floor and flowers had been placed in glasses, perched on every available surface. Several candles flickered lazily in every corner, and soft music played from somewhere. The carpet they were sitting on was soft, plush, and comfortable. Small pillows lined the edges, and it was on one of these pillows that Natsu was currently leaned back against, watching Lucy take everything in.

“What was this for, Natsu?” Lucy asked, her eyes shining.

“Can’t a guy do something for his girl?” Natsu smirked. Lucy leaned over the table and kissed him passionately. 

“And you cooked! How worried do I need to be?” Lucy asked cautiously.

“I can grill fish, and I can make noodles. These are the two things I know how to cook, so I can promise you that you will most probably not hate it.” Though he sounded confident, his words didn’t inspire much faith in Lucy. She picked up her wine glass and clinked it against his. Then, most nervously, she took a bite of the noodles. 

“Hey! This is really good!” She exclaimed with genuine shock. Natsu tossed her an “I-Told-You-So” eyebrow raise, before digging in.

“How did you pull all this off?” Lucy asked in between bites.

“Happy helped. I gave him a list yesterday, and when you were out, he brought it all over. He helped me put up the lights and put the flowers into the glasses and stuff. I cooked all by myself,” Natsu added proudly. “Erza and Wendy helped with the dress, and Gray loaned me his music player," he paused. A tinge of pink stained his cheeks. "Did you really like it?” he asked shyly.

“I loved it. It’s the most romantic thing anyone has ever done for me. I love  _ you _ ,” she said, reaching over and squeezing his hand. “Though I am a little jealous that I’m now the only one who hasn’t been a part of Team Secret Mission,” she pouted.

“Is that what we’re calling it now?” Natsu guffawed.

When dinner was over, the two lounged back against the pillows, continuing to drink their wine. They were passing a large bar of chocolate back and forth in lieu of dessert. 

“I should be mad at you about sending me all over town for your ridiculous list, shouldn’t I? Wyvern dust? Really?” Lucy asked with great confusion.

“That’s actually for Freed. He needed some a couple months ago, and I said I’d go pick it up,” Natsu shrugged.

“Couple months?! Natsu, I’m sure Freed has bought his own Wyvern dust since then!” cried.

“Eh, a guy can never have too much,” Natsu took a sip of his wine. 

“So I spent an evening doing chores for the guild?” she asked in a resigned voice.

“No, you spent an evening staying away from home so that I could set this up for you,” Natsu rolled his eyes.

Lucy giggled. It was difficult to be mad at him when he was being so sweet. She leaned over the table and their empty plates to pull him into a kiss. The pair stood up awkwardly and stumbled to the couch. Lucy perched herself on Natsu’s lap, her finger skimming the top of his chest as she flicked her tongue over his lip. He caught her bottom lip within his and tugged on it. They tasted the chocolate and wine on each other’s tongues as they kissed deeply. Natsu dipped his head to pepper Lucy’s neck with soft kisses as his hands caressed her waist. 

Lucy grabbed his face, pulling his gaze up to hers. 

“This was our third date, wasn’t it?” she asked.

Natsu nodded before audibly swallowing.

Lucy slid off his lap, intertwining her fingers with his. He stood up to meet her. 

“I think we should finish the night somewhere else, shouldn’t we, Mr. Dragneel?” Lucy asked sultrily. 

Natsu raised her hand to his mouth, kissing her knuckles, before letting her pull him to the bedroom. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that concludes this story! Sort of. I couldn't resist writing a lemony scene to follow their date, but that's a separate upload. The next chapter is a tiny sneak peek of that, and the rest of it can be found via my profile! I hope you liked reading this fluffy piece as much as I liked writing it! For any ideas, suggestions, or feedback, my DMs are always open!  
> -Persephone


	10. Sneak Peek

**That night**

Lucy stood in the doorway of her bedroom, her fingers intertwined with Natsu’s. She lifted herself onto her toes, pressing her lips against his. 

“I had a really good time tonight,” she whispered huskily. 

“I have some ideas on how you can say thank you,” Natsu throatily rasped against her lips.

She cocked an eyebrow. “Is that so? Well, I guess you’ll just have to show me,” she said, capturing his lips.

She walked backwards towards the bed, pulling Natsu by his collar, her lips never leaving his. Natsu’s hands firmly gripped her hips, pulling her into him. When the back of Lucy’s knees hit the edge of the bed, she fell onto it, yanking Natsu down with her. Natsu braced himself on his elbows, positioning himself between Lucy’s knees. Her kisses became more desperate as she wove her fingers through his hair, sucking at his bottom lip. Natsu broke the kiss to stand up and shrug his blazer off, letting it fall to the floor.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Before this gets any more explicit, and I'm forced to change the rating, I am cutting this little preview off here! If you want to read the rest, head to my profile! It's the story titled 'The Week Together: The Last Night'!
> 
> Lots of love!


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